


Memory Suds

by XOXOErinXOXO



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: BillDip, Bring tissues, M/M, a little happy, a little sad, pinescone, this is basically a soap opera
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-04-09 11:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 34,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4347728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XOXOErinXOXO/pseuds/XOXOErinXOXO
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*forgive the lame title* It's been a few years since Dipper lost the love of his life, Bill Cipher, the boy has yet to get over his death and it begins to take its toll on him. Wirt and Greg ' family come to town in search of vacation, but Greg and Wirt are looking for something different. Someone who can help them explain their time in the Unknown and prove it was real. Will they find what they're looking for? Or will that be a bigger challenge than they expected?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea came from watching my mother and grandmother watch 600 too many episodes of General Hospital. Also, I really liked Billdip and Pinescone, so I said "Fuck it." and mashed them together, it'll all work out in the end, I promise, but it's gonna be a hell of a ride. LITERALLY this is gonna be a soap opera and a half, or 30. Everything will be answered by the end, and there's a shit ton of drama (what fanfiction doesn't have extra drama?). So let's see how this works out.
> 
> *typically, the chapters will alternate between the present and the past, sometimes it won't do that. Just keep an eye on the writing. If it's in italics it's a past chapter, if not it's present. It WILL say at the very beginning when it's set unless it's the present, please be aware of that.
> 
> Set in 2017, assuming Wirt and Greg went into the Unknown in 2012. Also assuming in 2012 Wirt was 13 and Greg was 8.

Dipper picked the pebble out of the mound of dirt and threw it into the murky lake water. The ripples carried out until they hit the bank by his feet. Dipper often came here when he was missing his late lover.

Bill had barely been gone a year and Dipper still hadn't moved on. 

Mabel had been trying and trying to get him to open up, to talk about his death, to move on, but Dipper wouldn't budge. His heart ached with loss and he had sunk into a deep depression. Not even his twin had been able to pull him out of it.

***

Wirt glanced out the window and smiled at the view. The trees were as tall as mountains. Even though he barely made it out of the Unknown alive, he still loved the woods. To walk through a forest on a little path, stopping to smell the freshly deed flowers on his way, it was one of his favorite things to do. It always inspired some lovely poetry.

His poetry writing had really picked up since returning from the Unknown. It was one thing he had used to heal from the events. It had been almost six years since he and Greg returned from their crazy trip, and both the boys were fairing pretty well. Wirt was going to college next term, and Greg was a star student in his classes. They both knew what they saw was real, but had yet to find someone who understood or could help them rediscover it.

After a few years of research however, they boys had discovered someone who could solve all their problems. Who could prove that everything the boys saw on their adventure was real.

And he was living in Gravity Falls.

So when their parents let them choose where they went on their final vacation together, both boys quickly agreed upon Oregon. Their parents were reluctant, but there were some beautiful parks in the area. So they figured, why not? So the whole family packed two months worth of summer clothes and headed west to Oregon.

 

No one really knew what that summer would bring, not to anyone who would enter Gravity Falls' town limits.

 

Only fate knew.


	2. Chapter 2

Five years ago  
 _  
It had been a long school year, and the twins were so excited to be back where they belonged._

_Gravity Falls._

_A town that appeared sleepy but harbored the most insane secrets imaginable. Demons, vampire bats, child psychics, man-ataurs, muli-bears, pteradactyls, shapeshifters, vengeful ghosts, cherubs, gnomes, and strange labs created by a trio of 'mystery solvers' in the sixties/seventies...just to name a few things._

_After 104 days of spending time with their Great-Uncle, Dipper and Mabel had more questions than answers, especially when their grandfather Stanley literally strolled out of a portal to another dimension. By the time they had to return to Piedmont however, the twins had more answers than they thought they'd have. It was mostly due to the demon they had befriended over the years._

_The friendship between the three began as a scary plight, destined to never ever become friendship. A month after possessing Dipper, Bill Cipher joined the good side, informing the twins he was only doing it for their best interest. Much like Zuko when he joined the Avatar and his team._

_At the time, the twins didn't realize Bill was right. But now, now they did._

_Dipper was looking up at a banshee, it had luckily been blinded by the mace he kept on him at all times (one too many gnome run ins for his tastes), but like hell it could still smell and hear. Dipper took a deep breath and held it, knowing that the faintest sound or scent would sent the foaming at the mouth banshee into a frenzy. If that's not what you'd have called it's current state._

_Sometimes, Dipper thought to himself, I really should start listening to the Stan's about not provoking the supernatural._

_The banshee turned as Dipper struggled to hold his breath. He was going to lose it soon. He began to slowly back up, careful not to lose his footing, careful not to take his eyes off the beast, and careful to continue holding his breath._

_That was when he stepped on a tree branch and it snapped under his high tops. Dipper glanced down to assure himself it was a stick, as any person would do in that situation, and looked back up into the raging face of a banshee, one that immediately let out a cry at him._

_"Fuck it." And Dipper turned and ran like hell, the banshee in pursuit behind him, managing to stay pretty close to him for being blind. As Dipper ducked under a tree branch, something scathed his leg._

_Damnit where was Mabel when he needed her?_

_OH that's right. Girls night._

_The Stan's were surely in the basement working on an invention._

_Dipper was a gonner._

_That's the moment he realized nothing was following him anymore. He came to a stop, caught his breath, then turned around and carefully backtracked to find the beast. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the floating golden demon talking to the banshee in Screech (a painful conversation to listen to, by the way). He leaned around the tree and watched as the banshee hung it's head in shame and began to trot away. Bill turned to look at Dipper, who was trying to hide behind the tree still._

_"She's gone now. She was only worried about her bansheelings, thought you wanted to hurt them. Once I assured her that's not what you wanted, and fixed her eyesight, she was okay with you. Side note, stop using mace. I'll teach you some magic to stun magickal creatures, that gunk only makes them more mad." Bill said, floating over to Dipper._

_"Bill-"_

_"Don't thank me yet kid. I have a new apprentice to train. Lesson one, go home and get some rest. We will start tomorrow afternoon." Bill said._

_"Bill I don't want your help." Dipper argued._

_"Oh kid, I know you still don't think I'm good, can't say I blame you, but that banshee was the kind of thing I've been trying to keep you from. Since the beginning I've been trying to scare you away from here." Bull explained. "But since there's no chance of that working, I'll just have to better prepare you to survive this town without me having to save your ass every 10 seconds. So you're gonna have to start trusting me. Every single thing I've done since last May was to help you, never hurt you. Not even the Gideon thing." Bill said._

_"All of them?" Dipper asked cautiously._

_"Kid, go home and talk to the Stan's about me. We are all good friends, they haven't realized I've been trying to scare you all away, but they'll know why. After seeing your grandfather come out of the portal before your eyes, I figured you'd wanna get the hell out of Gravity Falls but...you're much tougher than you look." Dipper stared at the demon. "Just go home and get some rest, you almost died, again, and your mortal body needs to heal. I'll see you tomorrow." As Dipper opened his mouth to argue, Bill snapped his fingers and the boy was at home in his bedroom. He sighed and decided sleep was his best option, so he laid down and dozed off._

_Little did he know what awaited him that crazy summer with the demon._

__


	3. Chapter 3

"Mabel?" She popped her head around the corner.

"Yeah bro-bro?" She asked gently to her twin.

"Can we do something tonight? Game or something?" She gave him a gentle smile and sat in the chair next to him. 

"Of course bro-bro, you name it and we will do it!" She exclaimed, trying to be cheerful like always.

"Anything to get him off my mind." Mabel's cheer dropped and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"We can have a family night! Me, you, and the Stan's!" She said, her energetic attitude returning suddenly "We will go mini-golfing, karaoke-ing, play a bunch of board games, then we can watch a bunch of movies and fall asleep at four in the morning!" Mabel said excitedly, desperately trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, yeah let's do it." Dipper said looking at her.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes. I need to get out of this shack. Too many memories. A family night is exactly what I need right now." Mabel smiled at him.

"Let's go get the Stan's!" She exclaimed, pulling him up and to the vending machine/basement entrance.

"Mabel?" She hummed in reply. "Do whatever you need to to distract me tonight. Please."

His voice came so close to cracking, he had to force his tears back.

***

Wirt sat down another bag. Good God, had their parents brought the entire freaking house? 

"Wirrrt!" He turned around to see his brother Greg.

Greg was about 13 now. After a while, he had came to terms with his time in the Unknown, but he never stopped being his normal silly self. Often times, him acting like his eight year old self was what kept Wirt from going insane.

"Yeah Greg?" Wirt asked him. The brothers had gotten closer since the incident. They spent all their free time together, talking about anything and everything to distract them from the Unknown.

"I saw him again." He said softly. Wirt got down on his knees and pulled his younger brother in for a hug.

"He can't get you if you're not in the Unknown. It's just your brain messing with you. Turgglin your burts." Greg half laughed.

"It's burgglin your turts, not Turgglin your burts." Greg laughed.

"Whatever." Wirt teased back. "Either way, you're safe, and soon enough we will have the answers to all out problems. We just have to find this guy." Wirt said, looking at Greg.

"Yeah." Greg nodded. "Did you want me to help unpack?" He asked, switching back into cute brother mode.

"I always want your help!" He said, running his hands through his younger brothers hair and moving to start unpacking luggage.

They could find their guy, after some downtime of course.

***

"Two adults and two children please!" Wirt's mother, Janice, told the woman at the front counter of the golf course.

"Wonderful! That'll be $20.56 for the rental and playing fees!" The woma replied happily. As the money transaction took place, the woman behind the glass got a little nervous looking. "And, if your ball goes missing, don't worry about it! Sometimes it gets taken- I mean lost in the buildings- I mean courses. Haha! We have extras all around the area, use as many as you need! Clubs are over here to your left, enjoy!" The woman said quickly, before turning around and rushing into a back room. Janice, Wirt and Greg 's mom, was a little worried, but she shrugged it off.

"I like this little town, you two made a good pick!" She told her sons as they moved to get their clubs.

"Me too mom. So what all are we doing today?" Wirt asked.

"Just this. I figured we will pace out our stay. Today is mini golf, tomorrow we go to the arcade and karaoke, Tuesday there's a band playing downtown, Wednesday is actually the towns birthday so we will go to their festival, Thursday we will go hiking and Friday we are going to this little place everyone's been talking about, it's called the Mystery Shack. It sounds really exciting, right?" She asked her family.

"So exciting!" Greg said enthusiastically.

"Next week we don't have any definite plans though, we will find more things to do. We will be here for three weeks, I'm sure we will find some fun stuff to do!" She exclaimed, grabbing her club.

"Awesome." Wirt said with a smile. "Do you think me and Greg can go look around later tonight?" Wirt asked, getting his own club and passing his Step-dad, John, his.

"Of course kiddo! As long as you two stick together, and you have your phone on you, you can go out anytime. But I want you back before 10. And don't you think about going in the woods anytime near dark." Both boys shook their heads at their fathers request.

"Dark woods aren't our thing." Greg said.

"Yeah, that one won't be hard for us to follow." Wirt agreed.

"Wonderful, so who is ready to get destroyed by me?!" John asked.

***

"Haha take that!" Mabel screamed.

"Mabel, don't antagonize the put-putians, please. I do NOT want to save you from them, again." Dipper said.

"Wait again? You've messed with the putians?" Stanley asked.

"Oh yeah....Mabel....yeah its a long story just don't worry about it and please don't piss them off. We aren't really all on good terms. It's like...mutual understanding right now." Dipper explained.

"I don't even want to know, that's why I'm just gonna turn around and forget I heard anything at all." Stan said.

"Laaaame!" Stanley teased.

"I will hit you." Stan argued.

"This is a family place!" Mabel shrieked, but the entire lot was pretty much empty. "Fight me!" Mabel yelled before moving and placing her ball.

"We are ALL fighting you, Mabes." Dipper said.

"Fuck off Dipper." She teased. 

"Where did you all learn your vocab, yeesh." Stan joked.

"Uh, you, when we were 15." Dipper said, watching Mabel hit her ball way to hard. "Mabel!" He yelled.

"Bro-bro, go get my ball!" She whined. Dipper groaned. "Please?"

"I hate you Mabel." He said, putting his club down and running after the ball, which had gone flying towards the Mines. When he found it, it was laying a few feet away from a skinny boy in a yellow sweater. Dipper's heart stopped as he froze in place.

"Did you just lose you ball? Cause if you did, I think it just hit me in the head." The boy said with a laugh. Dipper's heart picked back up. Damn, he thought to himself, I was so sure that was him.

"Oh, wow uh I'm so sorry about that. My sister has really shitty aim. At least it was a ball, not her club." They both laughed as Dipper picked up the ball. As Dipper got ready to leave, he noticed the boy was staring at the windmill in the center. "Word of advice, don't piss off the putians. And don't seriously challenge anyone at Mini-Golf. Lives will be at stake." With that, he rushed back over to his family, handing Mabel her bright pink ball. "There you go, brat. Is it my turn?" She nodded and he moved to place his ball before giving it just enough of a hit that it stopped an inch short of the hole. "In your faaaace!" Dipper sang to his sister teasingly.

"In your face, I got a hole in one." Stanley bragged.

"I leave for oNE MINUTE." Dipper complained.

"No, that would've happened even if you were here." Stanley teased.

"Let's just play, no bragging, no competition, just a fun game of golf." Dipper said.

"Weak!" Mabel yelled.

"Mabel, shut up."

***

The game had been easily won by John, who played golf in his spare time, but fit once the boys had a good time with their family. Their parents had been distant since their return from the Unknown, mostly worried their kids had lost their minds, but after a while they began to come around and the boys stopped talking about the Unknown. Well to their parents anyways, the two talked about it in private but they kept their parents out of it. So far, their vacation was actually pretty awesome.

Right now the boys were walking through town, headed to the local gossip pot, Greasy's Diner. Plus, Greg really wanted a chocolate milkshake.

As the two sat at the bar and ordered milkshakes from a lazy eyed woman named Susan, Wirt got out his notebook and began to flip through the pages.

"Alright, so we know we need to find this guy. Surely someone here knows where we can find him. The sooner we find him, the better. We can finally move on once we find him." Greg nodded.

"What if we can't find him?" Greg asked. He had been wondering for a while, but they were both trying to stay optomistic. Before Wirt could reply, the woman came back with two chilled glasses of ice cream and milk.

"Hey you are sugars. Enjoy!" She said with a smile.

"Ma'am?" Wirt said to the woman, she backtracked and moved in front of him. "We are looking for someone, maybe you can help us find him?" Wirt asked.

"Sure sweetie pie, I know everyone in town!" She said with a smile.

"His name is Bill Cipher!" Greg said excitedly, ready to hear the answer. Susan opened her mouth to reply but a loud screech and thud interrupted her. She looked over, along with the few people in the diner and the boys. A man with messy grey hair and a trench coat was staring them down, his chair laying in the floor. He rushed over to the boys and moved close to them.

"Whatever business you have with him, forget it. I'd suggest you forget his name entirely." The man said, before turning around and rushing out the door. Susan sighed.

"If Stanley tells you to do something, you better do it." She warned before rushing off into the kitchen. The brothers looked at each other in confusion.

"I'm not giving this up." Wirt said.

"Me either." Greg agreed. They nodded at each other, then they both reached for their milkshakes taking a sip.

***

"Mabel!" She turned to see her grandfather poking his head in the door. "I need your help with something. Bring your glitter." She smiled with glee and grabbed her biggest tub of glitter, rushing out of the room to help her grandfather. "It's downstairs, come on." She followed him excitedly.

Once they got to the lab, he leaned up against the console and looked at her. "Okay, what are we making fabulous?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Nothing that was a ploy to get you down here without Dipper." She made a dissapointed face. "Look Mabes, some kids in town were asking about Bill today." The shock registered quickly with Mabel. "Yeah. So keep an eye on Dipper, I don't want these kids getting curious and Dipper having to deal with them. They look like visitors, they'll be gone soon." Mabel nodded.

"You got it." She nodded.

"Okay, private dismissed." He said, saluting her. She smiled and saluted in return before heading back upstairs. Stanley turned around and began to mess with his lab equiptment, hoping that Dipper wouldn't run into these kids anytime soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Five years ago  
 _  
Greg was so cute when he was asleep. Wirt leaned down and picked him up in his arms, cradling him to his chest and half covering him with his silly cape. Wirt began to walk._

_Sure, Greg really pissed Wirt off._

_And sure maybe he only was mean to Greg because his mom remarried and totally forgot about his father and doesn't even talk about him anymore._

_Yeah, okay, that's why he doesn't like Greg._

_But Greg is such a good kid, yeah he's silly and he messes up a lot, but he's eight, that's what eight year olds do._

_A cold breeze whipped through the woods, almost knocking Wirt over._

_Where was Beatrice when you needed her? Where was the next town even? Wirt shivered and covered Greg a little more._

_They needed to get home, soon. This forest wasn't a good place for two boys to be alone.  
_


	5. Chapter 5

"Wirt come play this with me!!!" Greg yelled as he chuckled, rushing into the family oriented badger animatronics restaurant. When it came to arcade style games, nothing compared to a game with Greg. He followed his brother to a fighting game, a classic game. 

"Good pick!" He said, ruffling the little boys hair.

"This game is the best!" Greg said smiling.

"No doubt!" He said, as they put in their quarters and started the fight.

In a few seconds really, Greg had Wirt's characters HP down to a zero. Wirt over dramatically fell to the floor.

"How dare you! YOU KILLED MY FATHER!" he whined playfully.

"Sore loser." Greg teased.

"What is this?" Wirt asked, squinting at the scribbles on the side of the game. "Hey, Greg look a cheat code!" Wirt said.

"Awe really lemme see!" The boy leaned down and read the code. "I've never seen this one, lets find out what it does!" He said leaning up and putting a coin in, quickly entering the code. The lights in the room flickered, causing both boys to jump. A red headed girl rushed over to them and gasped.

"What did you do?!" She screamed.

"Nothing! We just put in the cheat code and-"

"DAMNIT! Get away from the machine! Now!" She pulled out her smart phone and tapped the screen before putting it to her ear. "Dipper. Emergency...yeah...No the arcade...Yes! The code again!...Okay well hurry, I can't fend him off for very long...I know...Okay." She hung up the phone and stepped in front of the two boys. "I'd suggest you get as far away as possible. And don't use codes you find in random places!" She said, as the lights stopped flickering and a glowing character came out of the machine.

"My name is Rumble, and you killed my father!" He accused loudly.

"Yeah, of course I did big boy. Now come and get me." She said,getting into a fighting stance. Wirt grabbed Greg's hand.

"Come on." Greg resisted against his pull. "Greg, come on." But Greg was transfixed.

"No way, this is awesome!" Greg said.

"Not it's not, it's weird and fucked up. We are leaving, now." Wirt said, leaning over and picking up his brother. Luckily for Wirt, Greg was into sports so he wasn't ard to carry. Wirt turned around and ran as fast as he could out the exit, not stopping until they reached the rental cabin.

***

Dipper was pedaling fast. It had been a long time since he'd had to deal with the paranormal, he'd been waiting a year for something like this.

He jumped off his bike and hurried into the arcade, desperately reaching into his coat pocket and finding the journal. Rumble and Wendy were at it, fists and legs flying, annoying grunts coming from Rumble. He flipped through the pages and finally found Stanley's newest note about the games. "Og kcab ot erehw uoy emac morf, kcab ot slexip dna DH, kcab ot sesruc dna egnever, dna yawa morf em." Rumble stopped moving, the lights flickered and so did he, dissapearing into thing air. Wendy sighed and sat down on the ground.

"Who did it?" Dipper asked.

"Some kids, looked like tourists." She shrugged. "I wasn't planning to take down a video game character today."

"Neither was I. To be honest, this is the first magickal thing I've had to deal with since..." he trailed off.

"Whoa man, I know. You don't need to say it." She said, moving closer to him. "It's fine. As long as those kids leave soon, you'll be fine." Dipper nodded distractedly.

"Thanks for calling." He said softly as he turned and began to walk away. Wendy stood up.

"Dipper?" He stopped. "I know it's been hard, I'm sorry. But...you need to move on-"

"You don't know what I need!" Dipper screamed, turning around to look at her. The tears were slowly streaming down his face, but he blinked the rest away.

"Dude, I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing, everyone needs to stop feeling sorry for me! I feel sorry enough for myself!" He screamed.

"Dipper-"

"I...can't...I cant..." he said, shaking his head and walking out of the arcade. Wendy sighed and pulled out her cell phone.

"Mabel?...Yeah, he needs help."

***

Wirt was lying on his bed, scrolling through a feed from one of his social media accounts, when his door opened and Greg walked in. "Mom said to come and get you. We are going to karaoke." He said quietly.

"Okay, I'm coming." Greg looked at his feet. 

"I dreamed about the Beast last night." Wirt looked up, and got up, moving to look at his little brother.

"I told you, he can't bother you unless you're-"

"He told me he's coming for me." Greg said, looking up at his brother with tears streaming down his face. "He said he knows where I am, and that he's coming. Wirt he's going to kill me!" Greg almost screamed.

"He isn't going to get you-"

"What if these woods are sister woods to the Unknown?! He could waiting out there for me right now Wirt!" He said.

"He isn't going to get you-"

"You don't know that!" He yelled.

"Greg, Greg listen to me." He encouraged the smaller boy to breathe before speaking again. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. He isn't going to get you because I'm going to protect you." Greg hugged him tightly.

"Promise?" He asked with a sob.

"I promise."

***

"Dip-"

"Don't." Dipper said, punching in the code on the vending machine.

"Dipper, we need to talk-"

"No we don't I'm fine." He snapped.

"You're not fine Dipper. You need to talk about this-"

"About what Mabel? What? Do you want me to tell you about how much it hurt to watch the love of my life die in front of my eyes? Do you want me to talk about how I miss him more than anything? About how much I hate myself because I let him die? Because I didn't protect him like I was supposed to? I fucked up, and now he's gone. The only person who ever loved me, who ever cared about me, is dead. That's not something I feel like talking about. So fuck off and leave me alone!" He screamed, slamming to vending machine shut. Mabel waited a minute before sighing and going to her room.

***

Dipper sat down on his bed, picked up his pillow and started to cry into it. Everything hurt. His chest was aching.

He missed him so much. His entire body ached from crying again. This had been a constant thing for Dipper, every night since his death, he cried himself to sleep. The first few months he hadn't been able to hold back the tears and cried a lot in front of his family. Soon he gained enough control to keep himself from crying in front of others.

He wiped his eyes off and looked down at his arm. A triangle with one eye, surrounded with a circle with many circles looked back up at him. He touched it gently, bringing the tears back.

"Why did I fuck up Bill? Why did I have to lose you?" He said with a sob.


	6. Chapter 6

_The colors drained from the room. Dipper and Mabel looked around in a panic, searching for him._

_"Awe my little twins. How are you all?" The twins looked at him, an equal combination of fear and bravery in their eyes._

_"What do you want Bill?" Mabel asked._

_"Can't I just come visit my little twins?" He asked._

_"No. No you can't. So what do you want?" Dipper asked. The years of fighting monsters had made him tougher, he'd gotten over his anxiety and finally started to act like a normal person. It was a nice change, especially in situations like this._

_"I mean it, I just wanted to come see you two." He sighed and crossed his thin legs. "Look, I need to talk to you two about something-"_

_"We aren't making any deals!" Mabel said quickly._

_"Shooting Star, please be quiet for a moment. Yeesh. I'm trying to tell you something important." She opened her mouth and he snapped, turning her lips into a zipper that immediately closed. "Okay, like I was saying, something really dangerous is coming and I need your help taking it down." Dipper glared at the demon._

_"Why should we help you?" He asked._

_"I know you two don't trust me, can't say I blame you, but I need some humans to help me. If you don't help me, this planet is going to go down in flames soon. I mean it." Dipper gave him a suspicious look._

_"We need more details if we are going to help. So start at the beginning. Tell us everything."_

_***_

_"You're such a weirdo!" A boy yelled as he ran past Greg. Greg just clutched his notebook to his chest, looked down, and kept walking. People were so mean._

_"Oh no! It's the Beast!" Someone said as they walked past him, cackling as they did so. He walked into his class and sat down, opening the book and beginning to sketch._

_He had been working on a drawing of the schoolhouse for a week now. It was spot on, he knew it. The trees around it were just like they were when he last saw them. It was practically a photograph._

_"What are you drawing?" A small voice asked him. He looked up to see a small blonde boy smiling at him._

_"Oh...uh...it's just a schoolhouse..." he said softly._

_"I feel like I've been there before." The boy said, leaning over the back of the chair in front of Greg's desk._

_"There's no way you've been there, this school is in the-"_

_"The Unknown?" Greg's heart stopped._

_"Yes! Yes the Unknown! Have you been there?!" He asked quickly._

_"Of course I have! I go every other weekend!" The boy said with a smile._

_"Do you..." he glanced around "Do you know who the Beast is?" He asked softly._

_"Of course I do. Nasty guy." The boy said._

_"Why do you go into the Unknown then?" He asked quickly._

_"It's an adventure! Plus it's a nice place! You should come with me next time." Greg shook his head. "What? Are you scared of the woods?" Damnit. He played that card._

_"When do you go again?"_

_*_

_A few days later, Greg found himself at the edge of a forest with the boy, whose name was Adam. The Unknown staring him right in the face. He gulped. "Come on, let's go." He started to walk, then turned around. "Or are you scared?" Greg shook his head and started to walk into the forest too._

_After a few minutes of walking, Adam stopped. "Whoa, what's that?!" And he took off into the woods._

_"No, wait Adam, you shouldn't...oh dear..." he looked around at the tall trees, it was starting to get dark. "Adam?!" He yelled. "ADAM?!" he screamed. He wrung his hands together anxiously. "ADAM?!" HE screamed again. No response._

_Then he heard a growl._

_And he started to run. "No no no! Stay away stay away STAY AWAY!" He screamed as he ran faster and faster through the woods. "BEATRICE?!" He screamed hopelessly. "I'M NOT GOING IN YOUR LAMP LEAVE ME ALONE!" He screamed, covering his face as he ran through some low hanging branches. He heard something behind him. "NO NO NO! GO AWAY!" He screamed._

_"Oh my God, you were right! He totally freaked!" Greg uncovered his face and looked up. A handful of his classmates were standing there in the clearing, camera phones in hand all laughing at Greg. "You're so weird!" One of them said. Adam chuckled on the edge of the group._

_"I'm gonna be so famous after this. 'Freak goes nuts in the woods', priceless." He cackled._

_"I...what?" Greg asked, tears starting to fall._

_"What a baby!" They laughed. "The Unknown isn't real! You idiot!" They laughed. Greg shook his head and started to run, shoving his peers out of his way and running, desperate to get home. He ran until his legs were numb and he was on his porch. He collapsed and sobbed, the door opened up and Wirt was looking at him._

_"Greg- wh- are you okay? You're bleeding? What have you been-" Greg rushed to him, barely reaching him before clutching to his legs still sobbing. Wirt leaned down and helped his brother up. "Come on, let's get those wounds cleaned up, then you can tell me what happened." Greg just nodded as Wirt helped him to the bathroom and cleaned his wounds._

_When Greg could finally explain, Wirt was fuming. "That's sick. That's not okay. We are reporting this to someone-"_

_"It's not worth it." Greg said softly, tucking his legs under himself. "They'll just come after me worse." He sighed. "I just...I need someone to tell me the Unknown was real...so I don't think I'm crazy anymore." He mumbled._

_"You're not crazy. I was there-"_

_"But no one knows we are telling the truth!" He yelled. "Mom and dad don't even believe us! Wirt, we're freaks! No one believes freaks!" He yelled._

_"We believe each other." Wirt said softly. "Come on, let's go get some sleep." Greg got up slowly. "You can sleep with me again." Greg looked up at him._

_"No, I'm too old-"_

_"Greg...we need each other. Our nightmares are just getting worse. You're not pathetic for needing to sleep next to me cause you're scared. I'm scared too. We need to be there for each other." Greg nodded understandingly, taking his brothers hand._

_"Okay..." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes._


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 of 2 updates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 of 2.

"YEAH ZOMBIES RULE!" a girl screamed as she jumped to the music. Wirt pondered for a moment if the girl was referring to the name of the band, or actual zombies, then Greg took his hand gently.

"Having fun?" Greg nodded softly, still spaced out from the previous days adventure. "Dance with me!" Wirt said suddenly. Greg gave him a confused look. "Yeah, come on. Even though we got trapped in the Unknown for a while, we are still kids. Well more so you than me. Let's actually enjoy our vacation, huh?" Greg smiled and began to dance. "That's it!" Wirt said, awkwardly grooving next to his little brother. 

Wirt wasn't much of a headbanger, or fistpumper, he was into Classical dance, and music for that matter. But he was the kind of person who would listen to any music as long as it was good. So he shuffled awkwardly, but enjoying himself and he and Greg danced to the loud metal music.

"I see we got someone in the back partying hard!" The guy with black hair running the mic said. "Get up here in the crowd, don't be shy!" He said loudly. It took them a moment, but then Wirt and Greg realized the singer was calling to them. "Get up here in the mosh pit you crazy kids!" He encouraged. Wirt started to shake his head, but Greg grabbed his hand.

"Gotta let loose." He smiled at his baby brother and gave in, letting him drag him into the sea of sweaty bodies. They began to jump to the beat, careless, and no longer minding how many people were watching.

Because for once in their life, they weren't watching for a reason to tease the boys.

Wirt threw his hands up in the air and danced, the heat of the outdoors starting to make him sweat. He pushed the sleeves of his sweater up and continued at it, suddenly feeling something make contact with his elbow, then cold liquid spill down his back. He spun around, a boy was looking down at his shirt, hands out in instinct. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, oh my God!"

***

Dipper looked down at his soaking wet shirt. He should be fuming, but...he actually wasn't. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, oh my God!" The boy said quickly.

"No, no it's fine." Dipper assured the boy. "It was just water. If anything you did me a favor, it's really hot out...here." as Dipper made eye contact with the boy, he stopped. The boys eyes were that perfect shade of green, not bright, but not dull. In their closeness of the packed pit area, Dipper could see the brown lining his pupil. Dipper snapped to, realizing his hand was nearing the boys face. Shit. He casually moved his hand and brushed off the others shoulder. "You - you're not too wet are you?" He asked softly.

"No, no it's fine, I'm good." The boy said back, then the boy glanced down at Dipper's arm. "What is your tattoo of?"

***

Wirt had been so distracted, studying the boys face; how the little scars on his cheeks and chin were glowing silver in the light of the setting sun; his eyes deep brown and mysterious; his eyelashes were so long they ghosted his cheekbones when he blinked; how his hand was suddenly reaching for face. Wirt snapped back, flinching slightly. The other boy brushed off his shoulder. "You - you're not too wet are you?" Wirt blushed.

"No, no it's fine, I'm good." He assured him, looking down, desperate to get over the anxiety of the situation. Then he noticed the black ink on the other boys skin. "What is your tattoo of?" He asked, knowing the answer word for word, well more like name for name.

"Uhh...nothing...just a silly doodle." The boy tried to assure him.

"No, I know this-"

"No you don't." The boy snapped.

"I do, I do know him, do you know him? I need to find him-"

"Stick to your own business and leave him out of it." The dark eyed boy threatened before shoving his way through the crowd. Greg tugged on his shirt. 

"Mom and dad said we are leaving, and theyre in the car. They made dinner reservations somewhere." He said loudly over the music.

"Okay. Let's go then I guess." They rushed out of the cramped alley and to their parents waiting in the car.

"Those guys were killer! Look, I even bought one of their CDs!" Their dad said, handing them a plastic case.

"Awesome." Wirt agreed before their parents began to discuss dinner. He leaned over to Greg. "Did you hear what that kid said?" He asked him.

"Yeah. Something fishy is going on." He agreed.

"We need to figure this out, and fast. This town is giving me the creeps-"

"And you know what is coming for me again." Wirt sighed. "What?!" His brother asked, knowing his older brothers we need to talk sigh.

"I don't want to tell you-"

"Tell me." He pleaded.

"He visited me last night." Greg clenched his hands into fists. "He threatened me. And you. I don't know what he wants." He shook his head softly.

"This Bill guy would know. He'd get him away from us too. We have to find him." Wirt nodded in agreement, then the car stopped.

"Who wants Chinese Food!?" 

***

"What are you talking about?" Stan asked Dipper.

"Someone is here for him. They must be seeking out revenge." Dipper said softly.

"Who?" Stan asked calmly.

"These kids. The older one asked me about my tattoo, knew him and everything-"

"What did you say?" He asked.

"I told them not to ask about him and keep their nose where it belongs-"

"Dipper-"

"Look, just keep an eye out for these kids. One is young and chubby, the other is probably my age and really skinny." He said quickly.

"Dipper, don't beat yourself up over this one. They're probably just some dumb kids proving something they found online. They'll be out of our way soon. You worry about you." Dipper sighed.

"But I just want to worry about him still." 

***

"I'm sorry you're not feeling well Greg. Wirt are you sure you want to stay here and take care of Greg?" Their mother asked softly, rubbing Greg's forehead.

"Of course mom. You and dad go enjoy a nice romantic hike or whatever you do when we aren't around, and we will hang out here until his fever goes down." He said with a smile.

"Okay...k hate leaving you two-"

"It's okay, we have a whole season of Ductective to catch up on!" Greg said, as cheerfully sick as he could manage.

"Okay sweeties. I love you both." She said, kissing both of their foreheads.

"Love you too." They both replied, watching their mother leave to go hiking with their dad. Wirt clutched Greg.

"No forests for us." Greg nodded.

"This whole town is forest, we aren't going to be able to keep him away." Greg said softly.

"We are going to find this guy. We resume out search today. And while we are out, we will get all the supplies needed to take him down a peg if we need to." Greg nodded.

"Okay. Let's do it."

***

Dipper leaned over on Mabel's shoulder. She was in the middle of a marathon of Designer Designer reruns, much in popcorn and yelling at the contestants. With this movement, she looked over at him. Then very very gently wrapped an arm around him, he leaned into it. "Was I to mean yesterday to still get that therapy session?" He asked softly.

"Never. Come on, let's go to my room and talk?" He shook his head.

"My room. It's the most confidential room in the shack." She nodded and they both got up and went into the basement. They sat next to each other on the bed. There was a long pause. Dipper reached for his pillow and curled up around it, tears already starting to fall. His twin just leaned over and hugged him, holding him to her until he stopped shaking. "I miss him." He said,his voice the most broken she had ever heard it.

"I don't doubt that Dipper." She said softly.

"It's not the same without him. There's a huge gap in my life. I've been trying to get over it but I can't. Things won't return to normal. Nothing is the way it used to be, everyone pities me for what happened!" He said sobbing again.

"No they don't Dipper-"

"Jeff told me the other day after a run in with him, that all the supernatural creatures had agreed to leave me alone. They feel sorry for what happened with him and they won't go back to normal because of it." He said quickly.

"Dipper, that's not why they're avoiding you, we both know why they're avoiding you." He picked at his nails absently, though he couldn't see them through his tears. "You need to find someone who can help you-"

"There is no one. The only person who could help me, the person who made me like this, he's gone now. I'm alone in this." He said.

"Well....you've got me...and you've got the Stan's...you're not alone Dipper." She said soothingly.

"But with this..." he looked down at his palm. "this makes me alone." He clenched his hand. "I don't know what to do. And I can't mope around for all of my life...but I don't want to get over him..."

"You don't have to get over him-"

"I...don't want to get over him because I want him back..." he said softly.

"No one said that was a crime." Mabel said softly.

"Mabel...when...when Bill died I lost part of myself...I'm never going to recover from that." Dipper said, starting to cry harder.

"You will Dipper. I know you will. And we will figure this out together." She took his hand and made him look at her. "I promise."


	8. Chapter 8

_"No Bill." Dipper whined._

_"Pine Tree, it'll only be for a few minutes. Shooting Star has holy water at the ready if you don't trust me, please?" He groaned._

_"Don't hurt me this time." Bill reached for Dipper's hand and ripped his soul out of his body, quickly jumping into it. Bipper sat up and stretched._

_"Why do you keep letting me leave this vessel? It's so roomy in here." He said with a smile._

_"Bill, just do what you came to do." Bill jumped up._

_"Oh yes, thank you for reminding me Pine Tree! On to the main event!" He said, grabbing the twins box of chalk and beginning to draw on the wood floor. Mabel held out a sock puppet for Dipper to communicate through, and he took it reluctantly._

_"This is the dumbest decision I've ever let you talk me into making." Dipper complained into the puppet._

_"Oh hush Pine Tree. We will be one step closer to winning after this, trust me." He finished the final lines and sat down in the center. "Take about five steps back, you too Pine Tree." Both the twins moved backwards. "Here we go. Nruter ym htgnerts, nruter ym kcigam, nruter ym eurt rewop." The room lit up in a blinding light, making the twins instinctively look away. When the light stopped, the looked up in search of Bipper, but only found Dipper's unconcious body on the floor. Bill's demon form speared beside his body, and Dipper clamored back into his warm vessel on the floor. When he sat up, he looked over at Bill._

_"Did it work?" He asked softly._

_"Feels like it did. We will know in the morning." The demon said._

_"What kind of spell was that?!" Dipper asked._

_"A powerful one. That's why I had to be in an existing body to do it. You're gonna need a full night of sleep to regain energy from that." Bill said, floating over to the boy. "Night night." He tapped the boys head and Dipper fell over onto the floor. "Whoops. I forget about the humans and gravitation pull thing." He and Mabel helped Dipper up and began to carry him to the twins conjoined bedroom._

_"You've got to stop knocking him unconcious." Mabel teased._

_"That's how I like 'em." Bill joked back. They laid Dipper on his bed and Mabel pulled the cover over him._

_"Bill, that's like the tenth joke you've made referring to a relationship. Is there something you wanna talk about?" The demon flashed pink._

_"No." He popped out of existence, leaving Mabel next to a sleeping Dipper._

_He was totally into her twin._

_***_

_It had been two months since their return from the Unknown, and it never really ended. Greg kept replaying the moment the Beast took him in his head. He could feel the cold and vines wrapping around him, he could feel the cold touch of the Beast._

_In his dreams, the Beast was there._

_Proding him._

_Provoking him._

_Chasing him._

_Ready to trap him again._

_And every night, the dream got harder to deal with._

_***_

_When Dipper woke up face to face with a blonde boy about his age, he was a little taken aback._

_Okay, very taken aback._

_"Who are you??" He asked with a squeak, his sister waking up from her own slumber._

_"Who do you think, Pine Tree." The demon in a human body smiled brightly._

_"IT WOKRED!" Mabel said with a huge smile._

_"I knew it would. Pine Tree's body is really powerful, why do you think I chose him to use to do the spell?" They smiled at each other._

_"This is cause for celebration! We are about to win!" Mabel screamed happily before rushing down the stairs, leaving the two boys alone._

_"Your vessel looks good." Dipper said softly._

_"This is what I looked like as a human. Before I became a demon." He explained._

_"Wow." Dipper reached up and touched his cheek gently. "How did girls not just fall for you left and right?" He blushed at his own words._

_"Oh they did, men too. That's why I got picked for demon life. But the right one never really fell for me." The shared an awkward look._

_"COME DOWN HERE YOU LOVE BIRDS!" Mabel yelled from downstairs. Dipper got flustered and climbed out his bed, as he went to stand up, his leg got tangled in the sheet. He felt himself tip and braced for impact, but only felt soft arms around him. He looked up and into Bill's eyes._

_"Of course you have to fall, just as I used that line." Dipper gave an awkward chuckle. "Well. The fates have aligned. You're mine now." Bill said, picking Dipper up and tossing him over his shoulder._

_"Put me down." Dipper said while laughing._

_"Nope. You fell for me and now you're mine."_

_And for once, Dipper didn't even have a complain with the demon._


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> UPLOAD 1 OF 2

Wirt woke up with a stretch and a yawn. He glanced out the window and noted how the light was flowing in the window. "What light through yonder window breaks?" He put a hand to his mouth. He hadn't recited any poetry in years.

As a matter of fact, he hadn't gotten a full night of sleep in years.

Until now.

Greg stumbled out of bed with a tiny yawn.

"You...did you wake up last night?" Wirt asked him.

"I...no? No I didn't. Oh my- I got a full night of sleep!" The boy cheered.

"Wow." Wirt said astonished.

"Boys! Get up! We have a full day ahead of us!!!" Their mother called. The boys made eye contact and smiled brightly. 

***

Dipper tapped the ball again. He couldn't stop thinking about the kid with the beautfiul eyes. It was three in the morning now, and it seemed like nothing was working.

Again.

He'd watched Bill do this before. This was the way he made people have good dreams, but how exactly did it work?

He touched his head to the ball and sighed. This was way harder than Bill had made it look. He looked over at his sleeping sister and smiled.

***

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack!" A large man said to their family who had just entered the small hut.

"Thank you! So friendly!" Their mother smiled.

"What can I get you dudes?" He asked.

"We need four tours!" She said smiling.

"Four tours will be $60.78." the man said, ringing them up and taking their check. "Your tour will begin in 10 minutes, feel free to browse the shop while you wait! My name is Soos if you need anything!" They all smiled and went to browse the shop. Wirt and Greg quickly found amusement in the terribly fake goods around the shop, while their parents were seriously considering purchasing items. 

After a while, a man in a suit with an eyepatch came out from behind a curtain. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Your tour of the mysterious starts right through this curtain!" He exclaimed holding it open for them.

***

Dipper walked up to the counter. "Soos, Stan said you're good to go since you asked off early." He said.

"Yes! Thanks dude!" He rushed around the counter and Dipper took his spot.

"No problem, enjoy your date!" Dipper said cheerfully.

"I haven't seen you this happy in a while dude. It's a good look for you." They smiled at each other, then Soos turned and left the shack. Dipper sighed and looked around. The bad memories around here were easily replaced by the people in the shack. It was nice to finally be on a track to getting better.

"I'm gonna do inventory!" Mabel said, bouncing into the room.

"Have fun nerd." He teased. "By the way, thanks for last night." He said softly.

"No problem bro-bro! Glad to help!" She said cheerfully, beginning to walk around the store and take stock of items on the shelves.

"We do hope you enjoyed your fill of mysteries this evening! I have some paperwork to fill out, but Dipper is at the counter ready to help you whenever you'd like to make your purchases! Thanks for coming!" Stan said as he headed back into the office. Dipper was too busy picking at a thread on his shorts to notice someone approach him. He noticed them in his peripheral vision.

"May I help you?" He asked, looking up and meeting green eyes again.

"I do hope so. I didn't think I'd run not you again but I have and that's really good because me and my brother need to talk to you and it's really important like more important than anything and it's gonna sound crazy but you have to trust us so can we please talk to you?" The boy said quickly, words spilling from his mouth almost to quick for Dipper to understand. He stared at the boy for a moment.

"Mabes?" She hummed in reply. "Could you run the register for a moment? This man would like to see one of the exhibits again!" Dipper said with feigned politeness.

"Sure thing Dipper! It was the Antlehabit right? He's my favorite in there." She said with a smile to the boy.

"Uh, yeah. Greg come on." The three boys walked into the seperate room and Dipper gently closed the door that was behind the curtain, giving them some privacy. 

"What do you want from me?" Dipper asked, crossing his arms.

"Okay, let's just start at the beginning? On Halloween several years ago, me and my little brother Greg here got lost on our way home. Thought nothing of it, a simple wrong turn right? Well no. Our walk home turned into a journey to the underworld. We entered this place called the Unknown. A scary wood that harbors the most vicious and strange creatures. Due to the video game character who came out of the machine the other day, I'd guess that's common around here. But the Unknown...it was different. 

"The entire time we were being pursued by this...Beast. He was trying to kidnap Greg and seal his soul into a lantern. We managed to fight him off and made our way home, but no one believes us when we say it was real. Not only that, but the Beast is after us again. And we need help getting away from him." Wirt explained.

"How can I help you then?"

"We need to talk to Bill Cipher and you seem to know him-"

"I don't know him." There was a pause. "I used to know him." He said softly.

"Used to?" Greg asked.

"Bill...Bill died about a year ago..." he sighed.

"No, no he can't be dead. He can't. He was our only hope, our only shot. The Beast is going to come for us if we don't get help. You have to do something." Dipper wrung his hands together.

"Look..I...I'm sorry Bill isn't here anymore, but...I'm can't-"

"Yes you can." They all looked over as Mabel walked in the doorway. "I'm Mabel Pines, his twin. Dipper," she turned to him. "This is your chance to see what you can do. You have to help them." He shook his head.

"It's too dangerous-"

"It's not. You can do this." She argued.

"What is she talking about?" Wirt asked softly.

"I...damnit Mabel." He groaned. "Let me properly introduce myself, since my twin so rudely brought it up." He put out his hand, and bright blue flames took it over. "My name is Dipper Pines, also known in the demon world as Bill Cipher."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> UPLOAD 2 OF 2

_The Pines and Bill Cipher had been preparing for this._

_The demon had trained all members of the family to exorcise a demon, as well as how to temporarily banish one._

_When the day for fighting came, Bill had to pull Dipper aside._

_"Look...sweetie I know you're gonna be great, but if things go wrong-"_

_"They won't." Dipper said quickly._

_"But there's a chance that they might. And if they do, you need to know how much I love you." Dipper shook his head._

_"No, in a few hours we will be safely tucked into our bed downstairs and everything will be okay again." Dipper said softly._

_"That is the ideal outcome, but there is a chance it may go wrong-"_

_"Bill-"_

_"Listen to me." He said, using his magic to force the boy to listen. "I love you so so much. So much that, if I were to die in the next decade, I've decided all my assets go to you." Dipper gave a light chuckle._

_"Assets? You're a demon. You only have a bedroom because of grunkles gave it to you-"_

_"No no, not physical assets." Dipper gave him a confused look. Bill picked up his hand, and brought out the blue flames. "These assests." He whispered._

_"I don't understand." Dipper said softly._

_"If I die, someone has to take over my place in the demon world. Someone has to carry on my legacy and I have to choose who. And I choose you to take my powers." Dipper opened his mouth. "If I die, my powers will be transferred into you. You will be able to control people's dreams, to take down your enemies, make binding deals with anyone and anything, you will an immortal being of pure energy." He told Dipper gently. "And when you are ready to give it up, ready to go onto the next world, or you're forced of course, all you have to do is take the future owners hands and say 'Refsnart'." Dipper's hands began to glow under Bill's. Then Dipper realized what the demon was doing._

_"No, no Bill I can't- I won't have to, you're gonna be fine-"_

_"I like to be prepared for the worst Pine Tree." Dipper's eyes watered. "Come here sweetie." The demon held the boy close. Dipper quickly dried his tears._

_"Okay...fine...I understand." He pulled the demon in for a kiss. "I love you." He said softly._

_"I love you too, my little Pine Tree."_

_"But you aren't allowed to leave me just yet."_


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update 1 of 2. Happy thanksgiving!

"I thought you said Bill Cipher was-"

"Oh no, he is. But I have his powers." Dipper explained. "Look it's a long fucked up story, but I can't use his powers yet so I'm not of any use to you. Go back home-"

"Dipper!" His twin smacked him in the arm. "You have to help these boys. They came all this way for Bill's help and you're pretty much him." Dipper looked over at Mabel. 

"Mabes, I don't know what I'm doing!" He exclaimed.

"You don't need to know. These boys just need to be able to protect themselves from a monster. We know how to do that. Even if you weren't a demon, we'd be the ones they'd come to!" Mabel said.

"Well...I guess that's true..." he paused to think for a moment. "So we can teach you all we know about protection from the supernatural but that's about it, can you come back tomorrow morning?" Dipper asked.

"All day." Wirt nodded.

"Wonderful. Then get here as early as eight, and we will get started. It's a lot of work, but you'll be safe. Nothing will be able to get you." Dipper said softly. "Mabes, can you go get my talismans?" She nodded and rushed off. "I'm going to give you both a protection talisman for the night. It will keep you safe from anything and everything. If you haven't noticed, this town is weird. We are prone to supernatural visitors. If anyone is here, your Beast guy is. But he won't be able to lay a hand on your with the talisman on." Mabel came back through the door and handed Dipper a box, he shuffled around for it while talking. 

"I'll ask around the demon world and see if I can find any info about this Beast, Mabel can you talk to Stanford about this for me? See if he knows anything?" She nodded and rushed off. "Okay, very quickly describe him for me." Dipper said.

"Well...he's a shadow like creature-" Wirt looked over at Greg who was holding out an open notebook.

"This is what he looks like." Greg said. Dipper took the notebook and studied the picture.

"Could I borrow this page?" Dipper asked.

"Take it. I draw him a lot." Greg mumbled the last part, but Dipper's sensitive ears heard it.

"It makes things easier to deal with then you draw them, an I right?" Greg nodded. "I know the feeling." Dipper sighed, then gently pulled the page out. "Okay, you two go home and rest. We will see you tomorrow morning." Dipper turned and led the boys back into the gift shop. "We are so glad you enjoyed our exhibit that much!" Dipper said cheerfully.

"It was...fascinating." Wirt said fakly.

"We do hope you'll come see us again soon!" Dipper said, as the boys reunited with their parents and they headed out the front door.

"What on earth was that about?" Stan asked behind him.

"Those kids. They're being like...followed by some monster. Calls himself the Beast and is trying to take the little one. They came to ask Bill for help, so me and Mabel are going to teach them supernatural defense." He explained.

"Wow...okay then...sounds like you have your work cut out for you." Dipper nodded.

"Yup." He groaned. "Why couldn't Bill of explained anything? I don't know how to work my powers. If I could, I could just snap and solve their problems." He sighed.

"Hey, Bill probably wouldn't've even agreed to help them without at least trying to make a deal." Dipper scratched his arm.

"I actually really wanted to. It's like a natural behavior. But what little is left of my human side resisted. I'm pretty sure demon tendencies are going to start soon, I'm just hoping I'm less of a deal demon than Bill was." He said softly.

"Me too. I can't have you killing people who didn't pay you back in my house." He teased.

"Thanks Grunkle Stan, I'm really feeling appreciated." He teased back.

***

Wirt and Greg were clutching their talismans protectively, both wearing a silent smile. "What are you all going to do tomorrow?" Their mother asked.

"Well, I want to go back to that place!" Greg said quickly.

"Wow, quick decision there huh kid?" Their dad said.

"Poor Wirt is probably going to have to hang out in a dusty shack all day!" Their mother teased.

"Well, that was the first place I've found kids my age. I think I'll fair just fine." Wort assured his parents.

"Okay..." there was silence. "So...me and your father have a proposition." She said.

"What would that be?" Wirt asked.

"Well, Wirt we've left you to watch Greg a few times in your life...and we'd like to ask you to do it again. This time the consequences are real. Me and your mom wanna go on a week long trip, it's a few cities away and it's just a couples resort. We hadn't planned it, but someone gave up coupons so we thought we'd see what you thought." Their dad said.

"I mean...I'd be okay with that. This town is pretty cool, I'm sure neither of us mind hanging out here." Wirt said softly.

"And we are going to make up next week to you if we go, we are going to stay another week. What do you think Greg?" Their mother asked.

"I'm okay with this!" He said smiling.

"Then it's settled? We go on a short couples retreat, while the kids stay here?" Their dad asked.

"Sounds like it." Their mom turned around in her seat to face them, handing Wirt a golden card. "This is my Debit Card, you are only to use it for food unless we say you can buy something else. So if you wanna go somewhere, you need to ask us first, got it?" Wirt nodded, then took the card from her fingers.

"Lovely! Then we will head out tomorrow afternoon and be back Saturday night!" She said happily. "Wirt, I owe you." He nodded softly. He knew their parents had been fighting a lot, they hadn't had a lot of time to spend together. This vacation was supposed to bring the whole family closer, but their mom and dad needed it more than the entire family did.

"No you don't mom." He mumbled.

"You're such a sweetheart Wirt." He blushed.

"Oh my gosh mom." While Wirt was in his seat being embarassed the rest of the members of the family were all chuckling.

***

"What is this?" Mabel asked, picking up a flyer for a spa a few cities away.

"Oh, one thing I can do with my powers right now is summon things, and read minds. Their parents are having issues so I figured I'd send them on their own vacation, plus get them away from the boys long enough to teach them to protect themselves." Dipper explained.

"God, you sure Bill's not in there?" He laughed lightly.

"I wish he was." He said softly.

"Aww, Dipper I didn't-"

"No no it's a-okay! I'm fine!" He assured her. "I'm better. Our talk last night really helped, thank you sis." She smiled.

"I'm glad!" She exclaimed. "Oh, Stanford said he needs to talk to you!" Dipper nodded and headed towards Stanford's room.

"What's up?" He asked as he walked in.

"We need to go to your room kid." Dipper just nodded as they made their way downstairs. "Okay, this Beast guy?" Stanford said.

"What do you know about him?" Dipper asked.

"Lots, and lots of terrible things. He steals children and uses their pure souls to light his way." Stanford said.

"Light his way? Where is he going?" Dipper asked.

"That's the thing, he isn't going anywhere. He just sits around and keeps the kid in there until he decides he's bored of them. Then he searches for a replacement and takes the soul of the previous child. There's no reason for it either. He doesn't need them to live, doesn't need them go protect himself, he does it just because he can. Also," he flipped through a notebook. "In the demon world, his name is-" as Stanford pronounced the name, Dipper saw nothing but black.

***

**"I told you, you've got to stop. The humans are going to come for you." Bill's voice echoed around the empty space.**

**"Cipher you know nothing about humans-"**

**"I know way more than you think-"**

**"You really don't. The only thing you know about them is that you prefer the male ones sexually." Bill flashed red briefly.**

**"How-"**

**"The more souls I get, the more powers I gain. Lately it's the ability to see anything happening, wherever, any time I please." The dark form sneered.**

**"Look, the humans are going to grow suspicious-"**

**"Look, I only need one more kid. Then I'm done!" He exclaimed.**

**"No-"**

**"He's different." Bill listened. "This boy is the purest light. Taking his soul would mean immortality for me! I have to get him!" He exclaimed.**

**"Fine, but you need to stop soon. You've taken too many kids, the humans are getting weary. I've seen you in way too many dreams, Beast. Make another mistake and I'll personally stop you." Bill said.**

**"Heard you loud and clear Cipher, have fun with your toy-"**

**"Dipper is no toy, and you even step near him, I'll be sure to exorcise you on the spot. No matter how much it would physically hurt me." Bill said quickly.**

**"Note taken. See you."**

***

Dipper say up and rubbed his head.

"Kid, you okay?" Stan asked softly.

"Yeah...I'm...I'm okay...I'm had like...a flashback. Like I have Bill's memories..." he shook his head. "I had a memory about the Beast. Greg. It has to be Greg. Greg is the last kid he needs to make him immortal. We have to protect that kid at all costs. This is one thing I'm not going to tolerate. No one messes with children in my town." Dipper said quickly, his body lighting up red.

"Dipper!" Stanford yelled. Dipper looked down and returned to his normal color. "You need to get control of those powers huh?" Dipper put a hand on his forehead.

"I know. But I can't do anything. I have no demon alliances anymore, and none of them will help me if I tell them I'm Bill-"

"Then don't tell them-"

"I don't really need too. We can sense each other. During the memory I could _feel_ the Beast in the vacinity." He shook his head.

"We will figure it out Dipper. You get rest and I'll work on some talismans for these kids, got it?" Dipper nodded. "Did you see anything else important in the memory?" Dipper considered-

"Nope. Nothing of use." Stanford nodded and left. 

Bill would've risked his own life if a dangerous demon tried to get near Dipper.

Damnit. Dipper was missing him again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Moulin Rouge spoilers. Sorry.

_"Why add we watching this Shooting Star?" Bill asked contemptly._

_"Because it's a really good movie! Plus you need to watch it if you ever plan to blend with humans." She said._

_"I'm quite sure I'm never going to need to know how to get my writing published by a burlesque show, Shooting Star." Dipper and Bill were cuddled together on one side of the couch, while Mabel and Pacifica were cuddled on the other. It was about three am, everyone was exhasted, but Mabel insisted they watched one more movie, they had earned it. Dipper and Mabel had watched Moulin Rouge about 100 times together by this point, it was one of those (very many) movies that they bonded over. Mabel had watched it with Pacifica once, and Pacifica was too in love with the costumes to care about the weirdness. Bill on the other hand just did not get the point._

_At the moment, Satine was finally accepting that she was in love with the Writer, and they were doing the big musical number at the end._

_"Just because I  
Will always love you  
I can't help loving  
How wonderful life is  
Now you're in the-" Satine coughed, the room silenced. The silence was eerie._

_"WHAT?!" Bill yelled suddenly, making everyone jump._

_"What what?" Dipper asked._

_"DID SHE JUST DIE?!" he asked/screamed._

_"Yeah. She had tuberculosis." Bill began to tear up. "I thought you didn't like this movie?" Dipper asked._

_"I hate you guys." Bill sobbed._

_An hour later, as the four of them were falling asleep in the middle of the living room floor, Dipper began to sing to himself._

_"How wonderful life is  
Now you're in the world." He sang softly. Bill rolled over and wrapped his arms around the boy._

_"You're singing voice is beautfiul." Dipper blushed._

_"I...I thought you were asleep." He said softly._

_"Nope. And I'm glad I wasn't. You should sing more often. It's beautfiul." He leaned forward and kissed the boy on his nose. "Now get some sleep, my beautiful Pine Tree, we have work to do tomorrow." Dipper scoffed and cuddled into Bill's chest._

_"Goodnight."_

***

"You two should be good to take care of yourselves now, but we will practice more together while you're here." Dipper said to the boys. He'd kept a close eye on Wirt, for a small scrawny guy, he was doing really good.

Or, perhaps he was just good at catching the eyes of the male Pines twin.

"We really appreciate it, thank you." Wirt said, snapping Dipper out of his dazed state. He had just started to admire the lanky boys eyes again.

"What did you learn about the Beast?" Greg asked.

"Nothing you don't already know." He couldn't tell this child that a monster was after him. "Just keep your talismans on you and keep your guard up at all times. We will try to get rid of this guy for you, but who knows what it's going to take." The boys nodded and Mabel hugged them.

"Come back tomorrow!" She said happily.

"See you two tomorrow then." Dipper said with a smile. That smile hit Wirt straight in the heart. He had such a beautfiul smile. Holy crap.

"Yeah, yeah see you...tomorrow...uh...right here...in the mystery shack...yeah...bye then!" Wirt said with a blush, quickly grabbing Greg and fleeing from the scene. Once they were gone, Mabel turned to Dipper.

"You like him!" She exclaimed.

"E-excuse me?!" He asked, flustered.

"You! Like! Wirt!" She said.

"No, I, no I don't! Did you see him pick up those spells! He's a natural!" Dipper defended.

"Dipper, I've watched you googly eye him all morning. You have a crush on him." He sighed.

"Fine, yeah, I do. But first of all, who knows if he's gay. Second, he wouldn't want to be with me. I LITERALLY have too many problems. What human would want to date a demon?!" He asked.

"There's a mirror in the bathroom, that'll give you your answer." He squinted at her. "Well you asked." She said, holding her hands up.

"Mabes...I...I'm not...I'm not Bill...im don't...one day I'm going to watch everyone I love die, I don't need to add another person to that list." Mabel made a sad face at her twin. "I know, but it's true. You saw how I reacted when Bill..." he sighed. "I just can't do it again." He said softly.

"They don't live here though. They're gonna move away soon and you won't have to worry about him dyi- something happening to him! You need a rebound Dipper. You've waited long enough, it's time you start getting over Bill." Dipper sighed and rubbed his shoulder.

"...Will you help me-"

"Of course I'll help you court him! Step one is shopping! Let's go now!" Before he could protest, Mabel pulled him out of the shack and into their car.

***

"You like him." Greg sang teasingly. Wirt stopped in his tracks.

"What?!" He squeaked.

"You like Dipper."

"I mean, he's a talented and cool guy-"

"You love him." Wirt blushed and looked away. 

"Greg...Greg don't be-"

"I saw the way you looked at him." Wirt considered his next words.

"Greg...I like-"

"Dipper?" Greg asked.

"Greg, guys aren't supposed to feel like that about guys-"

"Why not?" Greg asked.

"Because- because it's not-"

"But...we love dad." Wirt sighed and crouched down to his brother, getting at eye level with him.

"This is different-"

"Wirt, I'm 13, I'm not a baby anymore...be honest with me." Wirt bit his lip and picked at his fingernails.

"Yeah, fine, I'm gay-"

"Bout time!" Greg yelled, causing Wirt to jump.

"W-what?!" He asked quickly.

"I said it's about time you told me. Jeez, it was getting hard to hide that I knew!" Greg said.

"How long have you-"

"We both know why you 'hated' Jason." Greg said.

"I hate you." Wirt said, getting up and starting to walk away.

"You can't hate me." Greg said, catching up quickly.

"Get away from me you brat." Wirt teased playfully.

"No way!" He ran past Wirt, smacking his arm as he passed him "TAG!" He yelled. Wirt ran after his little brother.

"I'm so going to get you!" He yelled as he ran. He saw Greg jump into a line of bushes and before he could jump them, a shadow fell over him, gluing him to the ground. Wirt tried to move, but to no avail. "GREG!" Wirt yelled.

"Look who it is. It's my little Gnome child-"

"Beast, you can't have him! YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET HIM!" Wirt screamed.

"That's what you think puny one." Wirt felt like something was suffocating him. "Plus, who said I just wanted your baby brother." The Beast appeared at the line of bushes, stalking slowly towards the trapped Wirt.

"LET US GO! THERE ARE OTHER SOULS OUT THERE, WHY US?" Wirt yelled.

"Oh, I just prefer the ones that...fight back." The Beast was within feet of the teen, when Wirt heard Greg scream.

"No, no Greg! GREG!" He struggled to get his legs free.

"You're both mine now-" the Beast said, reaching for the left side of Wirt's chest. Wirt flinched and pulled away, but the Beast caught up, teaching forwards and just barely scathing Wirt's skin, when the shadow howled and recoiled back. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" he shrieked.

"My talis- magick!" Wirt straightened up and took a deep breath. "YAWA OG." Wirt saw a flash of red, then he woke up to a beautfiul canopy of trees above him. He sat up.

"GREG?!" He called.

"Wirt?!" Greg replied. Wirt jumped up and followed his brothers cries. When he found Greg, the boy was curled up in the path, trying hard not to cry.

"Greg, oh god Greg! Greg you're safe! You're safe he's gone!" Wirt fell beside his brother and held him close.

"Did you-"

"Banish him? Yes. Our talismans worked wonders. Never leave my side again in this forest." Greg just nodded softly.

***

Dipper had taken to meditating on the roof. It was quiet, beautiful, and it reminded him of Bill. The two used to stargaze for hours up here.

Among other things.

Meditation was Dipper's best tactic to keeping his demon 'needs' under control. Since becoming a demon, Dipper hadn't made a single deal, however tempting it might have been. If Bill did one thing right, it was teach Dipper to meditate.

However, tonight...he wouldn't get much meditating done.

"CIPHER, i need your help." the voice erupted all around Dipper.

"Excuse me?" Dipper asked, used to random voices and not flinching.

"I need your help." Dipper opened his eyes, and came face to face with a very fucking tall shadow.

"What are you?" The figure asked, turning a head.

"Damnit. Did I somehow manage to visit the wrong person?" The demon in front of Dipper pondered this, and reached our to feel the auras in the area. "Bill Cipher? I'm digging the new vessel, quite youthly. How many years off the boys life did this take?" The shadow asked with a cackle.

"I'm not Bill. Well, not really. That's just my demon name." The shadow gasped.

"Wait, did Bill-" Dipper nodded. "Well fuck." He complained, then snapped and got right in Dipper's face. "Then, I'm the Beast, and i need your help taking some souls." Dipper saw black, before the picture in his eyelids began to clear.

*

**"I AM THE BEAST." The shadow screamed.**

**"Whoa, Yeesh man, calm down." The shadow whipped to face Bill, who was floating mid-air, arms crossed, wearing the blue bowtie Dipper had given them for their four month anniversary.**

**"WHO DARE-"**

**"Bill Cipher, that's who. Nice to meet ya, Beast." Bill said, offering a hand.**

**"Lord Cipher, with all due respect I think I'll pass on shaking your hand." Bill's chuckle bounced around the room.**

**"I tried." He said with a shrug like movement. "Anyways, I came to check your progress. You must know you need 100 collected souls to gain immortality. Because I'm the fucking highest up, I'm in charge of recording everyone's totals, just in case the high lords fucked something up and have missed someone." The shadow groaned.**

**"I'm still at 94, but I have two kids who will push me over my limit. They have multiple souls, they're very magical children." The Beast said, tapping his fingers together.**

**"Are they Pines?" The Beast laughed.**

**"You know I'd never touch anyone you've claimed!" He exclaimed.**

**"How sweet." Bill said fakely.**

**"I'm just the best." Bill said with a shrug like movement. "Well, whatever, let a high lord know when you hit 100. Things are coming, and we need to get everyone there as soon as possible." Bill explained.**

**"Yes lord Cipher." He nodded.**

**"Good. Bye!"**

*

Dipper rubbed his forehead as he sat up.

"I see you've still got transfers left. Wow, did Cipher teach you anything before he dumped you with his powers?" The Beast asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Dipper asked with a groan. "So you know what that was?" Dipper asked.

"Of course. It was a transfer." Dipper gave him a confused look. "Good lord, I'm not here to help you with your-"

"No, no please! I need help! Bill eft me alone in this, please!" He begged.

"I need something in return." The Beast said.

"No, no I don't make deals." He shook his head. The demon started Dipper down.

"You will one day, but I guess I can't watch a Lord struggle. Transfers are triggered by words or phrases. The previous host set up key phrases that would replay a memory if heard. There are a lot of things that can set them off, but you either have to hear them, or say them. They're similar to the humans 'video messages' and 'instructions' that help humans figure things out." Dipper nodded softly.

"That is very helpful, thank you." Dipper said.

"Yeah yeah, now you can help me steal my souls." The Beast said.

"I don't do demon things. Leave me alone please." The Beast let out a growl.

"I'll ask another time then. Warlock." Then he dissapeared.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY YOU LITTLE SHITS. So this morning I started rereading all my works and realized this wasn't finished. I wanted to know how I ended this so I went searching and I think I found every chapter. So ch 13 on are ALL new. I'm so sorry for making touch wait. They've been done for a year or so. But I think they lost all formatting so no italics. And I wanna know too bad than to fix it.

☆This chapter will showcase a flashback, then go to real time, then back and repeat. If you hadn't noticed, italics are flashbacks, bolds are transfer memories. Pardon the shitty name for those btw, I am out of fancy names for shit.

 

_It was one of Bill's few days off. Thank goodness. He could finally get some preperation done._

_"TES SDROWYEK." he said softly, the room around him illuminating. He really was not ready to die, but he could feel his clock ticking down, he needed to do this now._

_There was no way Bill was going to teach him how to be a demon now, then the human would know it was coming. He couldn't do that to Dipper. No. This was much too soon._

***

Dipper was flipping through Bill's dream journal. He had always enjoyed reading this thing, because often times the demon did sleep, and when he did he had either prophetic dreams, or really weird dreams. Either way they were exciting to read, it helped Dipper miss the demon a little less. 

But most times, the demon wrote about personal things. Deals, people, demons, and of course, Dipper. Dipper rarely found anything interesting, but since his journal was an infinite paged demon journal, he had yet to find a final page. So when he was stressed or lonely, he would sit down on their old bed and read a few days worth of pages.

***

_"Dear infinity journal," Bill snickered to himself. "Shooting Star told me to start one of these, silly girl doesn't know I've had one for eons. Nonetheless, I did forget I had one, so I figured I'd write once more._

_"I've missed the way you write my thoughts for me, old friend. Because I'm much too tired to pick up a pen." He laughed and propped his feet up, beginning to speak again. "Anyways, the Stan's have less-than-welcomed me to the shack, but Pine Tree and Shooting Star seem to be enjoying my company, so that's nice." He said, observing his nails._

_"Journal...I'm starting to fall in love with Dipper." Bill paused and sat up. "That's fucking stupid of me! Right?!" He asked the book, but to no avail. "I...I hadn't planned to love a mortal...I didn't plan to even court a mortal, but here we are...waist deep in beautiful brown eyes and the biggest brain ever and-" Bill shook his head furiously. "No, no I have to put an end to us. It's too dangerous for him. He can't be this close to me. It's just...it's not fair to him..." he sighed._

_"BILL?" Dipper called from the top of the elevator shaft, his voice just barely touching Bill's eardrums._

_"COMING!" he yelled back. "Dne."_

***

Dipper remembered that day pretty well. A few hours after Bill wrote that entry, they went for a walk and Bill tried to explain to the human that they couldn't be together anymore.

***

_"Journal...let me relay what has happened. We went for a walk, me and Pine Tree of course, and I told him. I said 'Pine Tree, we can't be together anymore', and Pine Tree, with his beautfiul pouty face said 'What? Why not?' So I told him 'I'm too dangerous for you. You're a human, I'm a demon, we literally come from two different dimensions.' And you know what he said? He said 'But, you care about me, you're not like other demons. You're more than other demons.' my heart kind of shattered when he said that, but in a good way. So I said 'Pine Tree, I can't do this to you' and he said 'What? Love me?' as soft as an eyelash falling on your cheek. So I said 'Yes, loving you. Dipper I'm a terrible mistake.' Of course, I said his real name which freaked him out. But no, instead of running in fear, or panicking, he says 'I love you Bill, mistake or not, I love you. And I want to be with you'._

_"Journal, I don't know what to do. Of course I told him I loved him too, which I do. I love him very very much, but...one day he's going to die and leave me, and I don't think I can watch someone else close to me die...what do I do? Spend the rest of his mortal life with him? Or leave and save myself the pain? Dne."_

***

Bill was wrong about one thing, Dipper didn't die before him. He just...became him. That was such a situation to take place, but it was one of those situations that felt perfect between the two of them.

***

_"Today I promised my powers to Dipper. It's a big commitment, I know." Bill told his journal. "But...I love him and I need to keep someone around to become a soul heir to my powers. If I don't, the most evil and ruthless demons will take it as I slip away. If I die soon, I'm going to give my powers to him. He is smart, strong, beautiful, and so perfect for them. I don't want him to become a demon, because it sucks being a demon, but if I have to make someone heir, it's him._

_"I didn't think he would accept it. We've been dating for, what, eight months? Shit, I basically just proposed to him in demon. He was all for it, happy that he could be part of my legacy, happy to do something for me...he took the exchange and promising very well too._

_"In case you forgot journal, the promising ceremony really isn't that fun. But Dipper knew exactly how to handle the pain, I held his hand the whole way through. He is such a trooper. I hope he never has to receive my powers...I love him too much to do that to him..._

_"Oh me, I love him too much to do that to him." He groaned and put a hand on his face. "Shit. Dne."_

***

Dipper took a moment to stop going in order. He carefully flipped the pages until he found one of his favorites. The page was worn from being turned to and touched so many times. It was one of the few pages Bill had written by hand.

***

_'Well Journal, here we are.' Bill scribbled in his elaborate cursive. The ink from his pen was flowing a solid black, the lines looked practiced and planned. Bill's handwriting was exceptional, the journal always just stamped out his words, but he was writing for two different reasons. One, because this wasn't worth an artifact printing it out, and two because he didn't want to wake Dipper. He turned to look at the boy, and smiled. Dipper was wrapped up in blankets upon blankets, his curls tousled and his eyes shut. He was so cute asleep._

_'The morning after. Well the two AM after. Mortals say this is the best moment of their lives, seeing their lover the morning after making love to them for the first time. And they are not wrong. Dipper looks so perfect over there. That boy looks so good in my blankets anyways. Every time he's come down here to sleep, I've noticed it. Something about this room just...makes him more perfect..._

_'Or maybe...maybe it's just...him. Maybe he alone is perfect. I mean, he is the one that chose to date a demon, not to mention promise to become one if I die. This boy...Dipper...he's amazing. Look at him. Oh you can't. Well...he's perfect!! Eyes shut, sleeping so soundly, you wouldn't know he was there. His hair is just this messy perfect curl, it's so wonderful. I could play with those curls for days._

_'And oh me, the sounds he makes are exceptional! I won't go into too many details, but I could hear those sounds forever._

_'Journal, I'm in love with a mortal. No. Not in love. I'm overwhelmed and...overtaken by him. He's captivated me in a way no other human ever has. He's got me trapped in his perfect hands and there's no escaping._

_'And...I'm not sure I ever want to escape.'_

***

Dipper's fingers toyed with the corner, his eyes water but he blinked the tears away. Why did this have to happen to Bill? Why did he have to leave?

***

"Greg?!" Wirt said as he sat up, another nightmare shaking him from his sleep.

"I'm here." Greg mumbled.

"Are you alright?" Wirt asked, reaching over to hug his brother.

"I'm fine...just tired." He yawned.

"Greg. Go to sleep-"

"I can't. I can't dream about him-"

"Greg." Wirt sighed. "Sleep. I'll protect you. I promise." Greg put his small hands on Wirt's arms.

"Thanks." He said half heartedly, before closing his eyes and finally falling sleep. Wirt was starting to hate the Beast. He was ruining their lives, and it was time he put an end to it.

***

"What?!" Dipper asked in a hushed and surprised voice.

"I want to kill the Beast." Wirt said again. Mabel and Greg were in the other room making breakfast or something, Wirt really didn't care.

"But- why-"

"Dipper, he has been ruining our lives since the day we stumbled into his forest. I don't think after all this time he's going to leave us alone. So I'm going into the forest to kill him and make him leave us alone, I came to tell you to take care of Greg if I mess up." As Wirt turned, Dipper grabbed his wrist.

"Are you insane?" He hissed. "You're not going to go fight him." Wirt opened his mouth to complain. "Not without help." Wirt smiled. "And you're not doing it today. You need more time to prepare, probably a few years-"

"We don't have a few years!" Wirt exclaimed.

"I know I know. I'll do my best okay? By Saturday, you will both be ready to take him down-"

"No, no Greg stays out of this." Dipper's heart melted. Cute and protective to his sibling, how sweet!

"Look, I don't know-"

"I'll take him on myself, leave Greg out of it." Dipper opened his mouth to complain, then remembered the Beast yelling at him yesterday.

"I don't like demons who go after children." Dipper said softly. "I'll help you. And I'll start by trying my hardest to get rid of your nightmares about him." Dipper said, receiving a hug from Wirt.

"Thank you!" He exclaimed.

"I said try!" Dipper said, flustered from the sudden contact.

"That's more than anyone has done for us!" Dipper's heart began to break for the boys.

"Y-you're welcome." He said softly. "Now, come on, we have to start working on your spells. Let's go get Gr-"

"No." Dipper looked at him. "Keep him as far from this as possible. Can your sister distract him? Please?" He thought about it.

"I don't know-"

"Why if it were you and Mabel?" Dipper looked at him. "If you needed to go to protect Mabel, would you leave her in the dark?" Dipper looked at his feet. 

"To save her, yes." He mumbled.

"Then help me." Dipper sighed.

"Mabes? Come here?" Within seconds of his call, Mabel was by their side.

"What's up Bro-Bro?" She asked.

"Can you distract Greg? Me and Wirt have things to work on together and we don't need him around." Mabel giggled.

"Sure can. Have fun." She said with a chuckle before bouncing off. Dipper blushed.

"What was that about?" Wirt asked softly.

"My sisters an idiot, don't worry about it." He waved him off, hoping he didn't notice the assumption his site had made.

"Okay then." Wirt said, following Dipper outside into the backyard.

"Lets start out easy. Step one, easy to do reverse spells."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently all author notes from here on are in the text. Enjoy.

"Dipper?" The teen demon hummed in reply, throwing another fireball at Wirt. Wirt dodged it and put up his magick shield. "Can we stop for the day? It's getting late." He said softly.

"Do you want the Beast to take your brother?" Wirt gulped. "That's what I thought. We practice until you can learn to raise your shield in a moment of terror, not avoid the attack." Wirt barely got a moment to nod before another flame ball was thrown at him. He jumped to the side. "Shield." He reminded the teen.

"This is really hard, thank you very much!" Wirt said quickly.

"I know it is, but the Beast will just take your weak spot as you open it." Dipper said.

"But won't putting up a shield just protect my front?" Wirt asked.

"Yes, and tomorrow I'm going to teach you to make a full body shield, and the next day you'll learn how to shield a small area. You have to learn in bits. But if the Beast comes for you tonight, you need to be prepared." Dipper said, attacking Wirt once more. Wirt stepped to the side to avoid the flames, and caught his foot on a weird shaped rock, tumbling to the ground with a whine. "Get back up, you have work to do-"

"I can't get up you idiot." Wirt snapped. "Ow, fuck." He whined. Dipper shook his head harshly.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry Wirt!" He said, rushing over to help the teen up, failing miserably and causing him to fall back on his butt. "Is it broken? Can you move it?" Wirt groaned and wiggled his toes gently.

"I can move it, it just hurts." He said softly.

"I...Wirt...look I-" Dipper stopped and stood up quickly.

"What-" Dipper put a hand up towards him, cutting them off. Dipper listened for a moment, then backed up to cover Wirt.

"Protect your other side." Wirt looked over, and only saw darkness but he did as Dipper requested. "You are in the territory of Cipher. Get out or I will be forced to take extreme measures!" Dipper yelled. The trees in front of him moved and a small square figure fell to the ground.

"Lord Cipher forgive me! I'm just lost! Can you help me? If not its okay I'll just be on my way-"

"Hey, hey, hush now." Dipper cooed moving close to the frightened demon. "Who are you? Where are you from?" He asked gently.

"I-I-I'm...I'm T-Tad, fr-from Hsowpca." He said softly. "P-plea-please don't ki-kill me." He whined softly.

"I-" Dipper snapped his mouth shut, put his hand out and used his fingers like scissors in the air in front of them murmuring something to himself. Wirt looked up to see a blue circle filled with stars. "Go back home little one." Dipper said softly.

"Th-thank y-y-you Lord Cipher!" The demon said before floating through the circle and dissapearing. Dipper snapped his fingers and the hole was closed. Dipper moved to Wirt and sat on the ground. There was an awkward pause between the two and Dipper stared at his hands. Wirt noticed how tense Dipper had gotten in the last few minutes. 

"Can I ask you something?" Dipper nodded. "How...how did you become a demon?" Dipper looked up at him, his eyes filled with mixed up emotions.

"...That's not a fun story-"

"I'd still like to hear it." Wirt blurted, then blushed darkly. "I mean if you wanna tell it, I love stories, I mean stories are cool and I like listening to people tell life stories. I've never heard a story about becoming a demon before, just seems like an interesting story. I mean...yeah." he rambled, putting a hand on the back of his neck. Dipper vaguely had a thought of 'That was so cute' but pushed it aside as he opened his mouth.

"Well...I'll tell you the story but we need to start heading back. Come on, I'll tell you while we walk."

***

"A few years after we met...I...I fell in love with Bill." Dipper started. "He used to be this terrible guy, demon, then he showed me and Mabel a different side of him. He showed us he could be good. Something I didn't think demons were capable of. He saved the entire human race, he taught me and my sister magick, he became our best friend over a few months...

"So we took down this demon, and... the next summer I asked Bill out. We both thought it was dumb at first, but somehow we agreed to be together. So we started dating. He'd visit me in my dreams while I was away, dream demon and all that, and while I was here we would just...sit around and talk. Finally he created a human body to inhabit and we got closer after that.

"Anyways, a year or so passed, and he tells me that something is coming. He doesn't know what, but it's on its way and we have to all be ready. So we start training. For weeks on end we prepare for this thing, me and Mabel were clueless, but Bill knew. He didn't want to scare us. He knew he needed our help.

"So the week before everything happens, Bill says to me, 'Dipper, you're the smartest human I have ever met and I want to know if, if I die in the near future, will you take my place in the demon world? It's risky, it's scary, and it's a very hard job, but you could do it better than anyone and I need to make sure someone trustworthy gets my powers', so I said yes. Of course. I'd be honored. And I was. I still am.

"But...a few days later...this aura comes into town. Black as the night sky in New York City...huge and demanding...you could feel it just...clinging to your soul...when we found its owner...we all wished we hadn't. This demon was huge. More powerful than Bill ever hoped to be. He came searching for Bill, to absorb his power...we managed to take him down and exorcise him...but not before...

"Bill...Bill was weak compared to him...people call Bill Lord Cipher, but this demon was a God...so he took Bill down in one swoop...Bill fell to the ground while me and Mabel exorcised it. When I looked behind me to cheer that we had won, I noticed Bill on the ground. His human body was literally shattered...but he was still there...

"I took his hand and me and Mabel tried so hard to heal him...but he looked me in the eyes and said he was gone...there was no stopping it." Dipper rubbed his face. He had never told anyone any of this. "He died in my arms, and I couldn't stop it." The tears started to fall. "I loved him more than anything in the world. He's been gone for years now and I still can't get over him. He's more than gone, and I just want to move on but I can't." He said softly. Something touched his hand, and he looked up to see Wirt's fingers entwined in his.

"I'm sorry." The boy said softly. "Loosing people is hard, I understand what you're going through. I lost my mother when I was five. She died of breast cancer...I found her, next to death in her bedroom before I went to school one morning. I was standing next to her when she stopped breathing." Wirt said softly, looking at the ground. "I know what it feels like to know you were there in someone's last seconds and didn't do anything-"

"But you didn't know what to do. You couldn't have helped her." Dipper said.

"I tell myself that everyday, but when you watch your mother die at five years old, you always blame yourself. You couldn't have done anything either Dipper. You did what you could, but it wasn't enough. I know it's hard, but it's not your fault." Dipper started to cry again. "Please d-don't cry!" Wirt said, moving closer to Dipper and hugging him gently. Dipper hugged him back.

"I hate myself for letting him die." Wirt pulled away from him.

"You didn't let him die, death took him from you. Don't be mad at yourself, be mad at death." Dipper half chuckled.

"Yeah, she's a real bitch." He said softly.

"Wherever Bill is, he's in a better place." Wirt said softly.

"I know...I know...but...he left me with all these powers and I have no idea what to do with them...he left me no manual, no instructions..." Dipper wiped his tears away and sighed.

"Maybe you just haven't found the instructions yet." Wirt said.

"I hope so. I need some right now. For instance, I need to figure out how the hell to stop acting like a fucking demon!" He said angrily. "When I snapped earlier, my demon was coming out. It's this other side of me...demons are notoriously insane and every demon has that second personality, but Bill could control it...I can't...without control over it I'm gonna make bad deals with people, I'm gonna snap at people, hurt people, and be cruel...that's why I helped that demon. I'm not an overlord, I'm not even that strong...I'm just a human in a demons body and I can't control anything I do." He sighed.

"You've come to the right person." Dipper looked at Wirt. "I have this just...human power to teach people to control their anger...I'm a really bad pushover, but I can control my anger better than anyone I know. Maybe I can help you?" Dipper gave him a light smile.

"You sure you wanna try to teach a demon to be nice?" Wirt laughed a real laugh.

"If it's the only way I can thank said demon for helping me protect my brother, then yes. Yes I do want to try." Wirt said with a smile. 

"Alright then...where do we begin?"


	15. Chapter 15

"What is this?" Dipper asked, squishing the apple shaped toy again and watching it slowly return to its original size. They had just finished practicing full body shields and now it was Dipper's turn to learn.

"It's a stress ball." Wirt said. "You squeeze it when you want to yell or you're just really angry and it makes you feel better!" He explained.

"Yeah, no. Not working." Dipper said in an annoyed voice.

"Okay, well what about counting to-"

"I've tried that." Dipper said, cutting him off.

"Okay...listening to music?" Wirt asked.

"Doesn't really do the trick for me." Dipper said.

"Okay okay, time to bring out the big guns then. Chakra Balancing." Dipper raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Didn't they do that on the Airbender show? That doesn't work, it's fake-"

"Oh no, Chakra balancing is very real." Wirt defended, forcing the boy to sit down in the grass. Dipper restrained from gritting his teeth and sat down on the ground, laying back so the grass brushed his skin gently. He let out a long breath, then Wirt laid down next to him.

"Are they balanced?" Wirt laughed.

"You haven't even started." Dipper grumbled. "Okay, all you have to do is listen to everything I tell you. Listen, imagine, and focus on what I'm saying. Can you do that?" Wirt asked.

"Sounds easy enough." Dipper grumped.

"Good. Now take some deep breaths in and out. Feel the grass brushing your skin, feel yourself and the earth connecting and becoming one." Dipper's back began to tingle, weird. "Now, imagine a red light beaming from the bottom of your spine. Imagine it glistening and connecting you to the earth." Dipper could feel his pulse at the bottom of his spine, like it was throbbing.

"Feel the light travel up to your lower stomach, below your belly button, and turn a bright orange. Feel energy radiate through your body." Dipper felt his lower stomach warm up as he imagined the light. This was getting weird. "Now feel it travel up to your stomach area and turn a bright gold. Feel joy and wonder radiate through you as the light pulses." A smile flitted across Dipper's face, then dissapeared.

"Now let the light move up to your heart, imagine the light turning a beautfiul earthy green." Dipper's chest seemed to hum as he imagined the light. "Feel adoration and love from your friends and family expand through your body." Dipper smiled a little once more, what was happening?

"Feel it move up to your throat and turn a light blue." Dipper's throat felt comfortably tight. A weird combination but it made Dipper feel comfortable. "Now feel it move up to the center of your forehead, between your eyebrows, and turn a deep deep blue. Feel your mind open up, feel your brain power spark." Dipper's forehead seemed to buzz. "And finally, feel it move to the top of your head in a beautfiul purple hue. Feel all the negative energy flow out of the top of your head, and welcome in the positive energy around you." Wirt stopped talking and gave Dipper a few minutes, before he sat up and looked at Dipper. "Did it work?"

"Wirt," Dipper sat up and out his hands on Wirt's shoulders before opening his eyes. His irises were glowing a stunning blue, and he was smiling brightly. "you're my hero! I feel better than I have in a long time! That worked wonders!" He exclaimed, jumping up and stepping away. He put out a hand and conjured a ball of flames, passing it back and forth between his hands. "Oh, I owe you! This is amazing! I've never had so much control over my magick!" He said excitedly, making the ball dissapear and walking over to Mabel's flower garden. She had forgotten to water them for a few days and her favorite roses were starting to wilt. "I wonder what I can do-" he waved his open hand over the flowers and they all quickly regained life and stood tall. "AHH!" Dipper yelled, spinning around and rushing to hug Wirt. "Thank you thank you thank you!" Dipper said quickly. Wirt blushed, awkwardly hugging Dipper back.

"N-no problem." He said softly.

"I wish I could thank you properly for this!" Suddenly Dipper went still, he stood up and looked around.

"What's happening?" Wirt asked softly.

"Trouble. Come on, it's time to practice your new skills."

***

"MORE CHOCOLATE CHIPS!" Greg yelled as Mabel dumped the bag of chocolate chips into the batter. He laughed in delight and began to fix the pancake batter.

"Dipper is going to love these!" Mabel said, knowing her twins crave for chocolate.

"Wirt's gonna be so proud I cooked something!" Greg said with a smile.

"Don't you two normally cook together?" Mabel asked as she poured some pancake mix into the hot pan. 

"No...we used to make food all the time, then the Beast kinda messed us both up.'" He said softly.

"Hey now, it's okay! Soon you'll both be safe! Dipper is a great teacher!" Mabel said.

"Yeah...doesn't mean I'm not scared still." Mabel gave him a gentle side hug.

"Don't be scared. You literally have a demon on your side, nothing can go wrong! Now, let's get to making these pancakes!" Greg smiled a genuine smile at her as they returned to making Uber chocolatey pancakes.

***

"What is happening here?" Dipper yelled as he and Wirt broke through the clearing, stumbling upon a scene of several mythical creatures all at battle positions.

"They took our watering hole!" A griffin screamed.

"You have one side and we have the other!" A centaur yelled.

"No way! That river bank is all ours!" The griffin yelled.

"That is not what we decided in our treaty!! The North Waters get their own watering hole, and the South Winds get theirs!" A goblin yelled.

"Whoa whoa, why can't you just share it?" Dipper asked.

"We don't share with North creatures!" Jeff cried from the middle of one of the groups.

"And we don't share with dirty Souths!" A voice called, stirring up conversation on both sides.

"Just go back to your lands and calm down-"

"Calm down! Their kind will kill our kind for getting in their watering hole! They threatened our little ones!" A shrill voice said.

"They should know where not to play!" Another called.

"Guys look-"

"If you want it so bad, fight us for it!" A voice called.

"Don't mind if we do!" Said another, and before Dipper could speak up again, the groups were at it, fighting and screaming.

"Hey! Hey!" Dipper tried, but to no avail. "This isnt good." He turned to Wirt. "Full body protection, now." Then turned back to the group and went to stand in the center of them.

"Dipper that's not a good idea!" Wirt called, rushing into the mass of fighting creatures.

"Wirt!" Dipper watched Wirt clutch his leg and fall to the ground. He must've dropped his shield on accident, or maybe he didn't even get it up. He looked down at the gnome holding a bloodied spear by Wirt's leg as he raised it to plunge it into Wirt's thigh again. "ENOUGH!" his voice vibrated the forest, causing a few birds to fly from the trees above the fight. All the creatures looked at Dipper. "I am Lord Cipher, and I demand you all go to your original places. You will share the watering hole and if you ever fight over it again I'll destroy it myself, capiche?" The creatures trembled but looked at one another and rushed off in several different directions. Dipper made sure the area was clear before rushing to Wirt's side. "Are you okay?" Dipper asked, receiving a whine from Wirt.

"I didn't get my shield up. I'm really bad at this magick thing." Wirt said softly.

"It takes time, I shouldn't have brought you out here. I'm sorry-" he was cut off by Wirt wimpering in pain. Dipper's vision went black.

***

_"Bill, Bill get up. Bill come on. Bill please!" Dipper yelled, gently touching Bill's bloodied face._

_"Dipper." The name shocked Dipper, he was used to Bill calling him Pine Tree._

_"You're okay, you're fine, come on let's get back to the shack and patch you up-"_

_"I'm done for Dipper. I...I can't feel the mindscape." Dipper started to tear up and he took Bill's injured hand._

_"P-plea-please don't leave me Bill. I love you!" Dipper cried out._

_"I...love you too Dipper...but...I...I can't...my time...is...up..." he gasped out._

_"No, no me and Mabel can heal you- Mabes!" Mabel rushed over and fell to Bill's side._

_"Holy crap Bill!" She exclaimed._

_"We have to heal him, come on." They both put a hand on him and began to whisper under their breath, but Dipper's hands weren't glowing. His magick was failing him. This had never happened before._

_"My little twins...your actions will not work..." he said softly. "I'm fated to fall...this is...it." Dipper started to cry harder._

_"Bill, Bill no please-" he sobbed._

_"Dipper, my sweet sweet little Pine Tree...you're going to be a wonderful demon. I have the utmost faith in you." Dipper shook his head and leaned over to kiss Bill gently. "I know you're going to miss me, but you have a wonderful eternity ahead of you. I love you Dipper." Dipper sobbed._

_"I-I-I l-love yo-you too B-Bill." Bill squeezed his hand hard._

_"Goodbye my love."_

***

"Dipper?" Wirt asked softly.

"Bill?" Dipper said, still half unconcious.

"No it's Wirt. Dipper it's getting dark, it's getting dark fast. It's gonna storm soon." Dipper blinked and looked up at the clouds.

"Shit, I passed out huh?" Dipper rubbed his eyes. 

"Yeah, now get up please. I want to make it back before it rains. I don't need to be crippled with a cold." Wirt said.

"Crippled?" Dipper asked, before looking down at Wirt's ankle and remembering the wound. "Oh! Oh, I think I can heal it!" Dipper said sitting up, rememberig that he was actualy capable of this. He moved closer, he started to put his hand over Wirt's ankle then stopped.

"What's wrong?" Wirt asked.

"I...I can't-" Bill...his magick didn't work on Bill-

"You can." He looked up at Wirt. "I believe in you." Wirt said with a blush. Dipper maintained awkward eye contact with him for a few more moments before placing his hand over the wound and mumbling. His eyes began to glow their powerful blue and so did his hand. Wirt watched in amazement as his skin sealed itself shut, leaving just the dried streams on blood on his calf.

"I did it." Dipper siad softly.

"Of course you did-"

"I DID IT!" Dipper screamed and, without a second thought, reaching up and pulling Wirt in for a kiss. Wirt was shocked for a moment, then he melted into it, wrapping his arms around Dipper's neck just as the rain began to fall in heavy drops. They pulled away, both blushing and silent for a few minutes.

"W-we should get back." Wirt said softly.

"Y-yeah...yeah we should." Dipper nodded and stood up, the wind kicking up around them. "Do you trust me to warp us back with magick?" Dipper asked Wirt.

"Absolutely." Wirt said softly. Dipper wrapped his arms around the boy and whispered softly, and before Wirt could blink they were on the porch of the Mystery Shack. He let go of Wirt and opened the door, rushing and going straight towards the kitchen, hoping Wirt would think that memory was a dream and save Dipper the embarassment.


	16. Chapter 16

Wirt was left standing in the porch listening to the rain as Dipper retreated inside. Wirt reached up and touched his lips gently. Did that really just happen?

"Wirt! Wirt! Wirt!" Greg called running outside to his brother. "Come try our pancakes Wirt!" He yelled.

"It's lunchtime Greg." Wirt laughed, pushing the thoughts of kissing aside for the time being.

"So? It's called brunch! Now come on!!! They're really good!" He yelled, taking his brothers hand and dragging him inside.

"Okay okay!" Wirt laughed, letting himself be dragged to a table where Dipper was already munching on a stack.

"They don't lie. Our siblings could be professional chefs." He mumbled, causing Greg to smile like a maniac.

"Here ya go Wirty!" Mabel said setting a plate in front of him.

"Exactly how many chocolate chips are in here?" Wirt asked.

"Too many-" "Not much-" Mabel and Greg said at the same time. They paused and looked at each other.

"I hope I'm not diabetic." Wirt mumbled as he took a bite.

"Good right?! Good?!" Greg asked.

"Of course they're good Greg." Wirt said, ruffling his brothers hair. "Everything you cook is good." Greg's eyes shone.

"You need to hang out here more often Greg, Mabel can barely cook anything." Dipper said.

"Not true! I can cook! I just can't MAKE anything." She laughed.

"Example number one: Mabel Juice." Dipper made a horrified face.

"Mabel Juice?" Wirt asked.

"It's what would happen if coffee and nightmares had a baby." Dipper deadpanned.

"It's was a bad stage." Mabel said softly. "But at least someone liked it!" She exclaimed.

"Who would that be?" Wirt asked.

"Me and Bill! We would drink it for hours! Bill loved...it..." she looked over at Dipper who was staring at her. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"No, it's fine...I'm good." Dipper said softly. "Just never bring that stuff in this house again!" He teased, pushing her shoulder gently, breaking the tension quickly.

"Just because you've said so, I'm gonna go make some!" She yelled.

"Don't you dare!!!" He laughed.

"I'm goin!"

***

"Are you enjoying your stay here in Gravity Falls?" Mabel asked the brothers, trying to make conversation to fill the quiet void.

"Very much." Wirt nodded.

"My favorite place has been the arcade! That Rumble guy from the game was so cool!" Wirt glared at his brother.

"We really shouldn't of done that Greg. That could've been dangerous." He snapped.

"Wait wait, you two let Rumble out?" They both looked at Dipper.

"Yeah! We used a cheat code and-"

"You're the tourists who have been messing with the supernatural!" Dipper said incriminatingly.

"How were we supposed to know a cheat code would lead to the releasing of a crazy video game character upon the real world?!" Wirt said quickly, trying to defend himself and his brother.

"Whoa, I'm not mad!" Dipper said, hands up in a surrender way. "In fact, thanks." 

"What?" Mabel, Wirt and Greg all asked.

"Yeah, thanks. I've been going through some crazy stuff and fighting paranormal creatures makes things feel normal again. So thanks...for almost setting free a maniac into the city." Dipper chuckled.

"You're welcome!" Greg said enthusiastically.

"As much as I'm enjoying sitting around talking about releasing dangerous thing into the free world, me and Greg need to head back to our cabin." Wirt said, standing up.

"Oh, are your parents waiting for you?" Mabel asked, receiving a head shake from Wirt.

"Our parents went on a short anniversary trip on their own." He explained.

"Oh, they must really trust you!" Mabel said. Just as Wirt nodded in agreement, the lights flickered out. Out of instinct, Dipper's arms were instantly glowing in blue flames, ready to defend everyone. Then they heard the wind smack the side of the shack, and the rain follow it.

"OoOH..." Wirt moaned. "We have to walk back in that?" He shivered at the thought, just as the lights kicked back on. Dipper extinguished his arms casually.

"HEY!" Everyone jumped and looked over at Mabel. "IDEA! LET'S HAVE A SLEEPOVER!" Mabel yelled.

"Oh we'd hate to-"

"No no! It'll be fun! Come on!" She encouraged them.

"Mabes-"

"Dipper, we haven't had any friends stay the night in a long time. This will be good for everyone!" She exclaimed. Dipper looked directly into Wirt's eyes, holding his gaze before sighing and looking at his sister.

"Only if they want to-"

"YEAH!" Greg blurted out.

"That settles it! SLEEPOVER AT THE SHACK! Come on Greg! You can help me set up the fort!" Mabel cried, rushing off to the living room with Greg in tow. Dipper and Wirt were left in Mabel's (what used to be Dipper and Mabel's) bedroom alone, no sounds between them except the wind and rain. Dipper got up and walked towards the door.

"Maybe we should go-" Wirt caught his wrist and stopped the demon. 

"I...about earlier..." Wirt blushed.

"Forget it, I'm an idiot." Dipper said softly, pulling his arm from Wirt's hand, and leaving Wirt dazed and sitting on the floor.

***

"This is really good." Greg said with a hiccup.

"Told you people like Mabel Juice, Mabel- I mean Dipper." Mabel giggled as she downed another cup of Mabel Juice.

"Sleep it off." Dipper teased to his twin.

"If you- no. No! I'm not tired!" She half yelled.

"Yeah not-" hiccup "tired!" Greg tried to yell, his eyes starting to close.

"Mabel Juice is literally a glass of one hour energy. Hypes you up for about 60 minutes, then crashes you hard and fast." Dipper explained to Wirt.

"Yeah...this is why I don't drink glittery drinks." Wirt replied, watching Mabel and his brother fall victim to sleep.

"They'll be fine in the morning. Just exhasted." Dipper assured Wirt as they watched the two fall asleep. There was a silent beat, once more filled by the howling of wind and droplets of water hitting the windows behind them. Wirt looked up at the quilts stretched above them, it was embroidered with symbols of glasses, circles, triangles, and trees. And more, but there was so much Wirt couldn't figure it all out.

"What's on this quilt?" Wirt asked pointing up at it. Dipper followed his finger and studied the quilt for a moment.

"Oh...Mabel made it for...me and Bill's bed...it's Bill's summoning wheel...she worked for ages on it..." he said softly.

"You and Bill shared a room?" Wirt asked. Dipper's face brightened slightly with a tiny smile.

"Yeah...me and Bill got really close over the years...at first we would just share the room studying and praticing...then we started dating and...it just became our room..." Dipper said softly.

"So uh...did you and Bill..." Wirt blushed. He couldn't say it.

"Have sex?" Wirt nodded. "Yeah...but that's what you do when you love someone..." he said softly.

"No arguments there." Wirt agreed softly. There was another beat of stormy silence, sliced by a loud crack of Thunder in the night. "So...uh...Dipper?" The demon hummed in reply. "Can we stop avoiding what happened earlier?" Wirt asked softly, his face turning beet red as he spoke.

"I...Wirt...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come onto you-"

"No no! You didn't! I uh...I liked you back, so don...don't apologize." Wirt said softly.

"Oh...well..." more silence. "Wirt, I don't want to...I can't do this to you." Dipper said, shaking his head.

"Do what?" Wirt asked.

"...Be with you...my hearts still broken over Bill it's just not fair-"

"Dipper. I leave town in four days." Wirt looked at his toes and put a fingernail between his teeth. He did that when he was nervous. He wanted Dipper in his life, not as a temporary either. But he wasn't about to admit it.

"But-"

"I really like you Dipper. But I also know you need this, a relationship, a...for lack of a better term rebound relationship...and I'm okay with being that." Wirt said quickly, hoping he wouldn't lose his chance with the demon. Another pause.

"Wirt...I...I'm not-"

"I'm not that kind of person either, but...I'm not the kind of person to be against it either." There was even more silence. Wirt laid down on the floor and pulled a blanket over hismelf, hoping that being a one time thing wouldn't be them. "It's your decision. Goodnight."

Dipper snapped awake to see Wirt sleeping away quietly on the floor. That was his worst nightmare yet. Bill just screaming for help, nothing to do but listen. It had been a while since he had a nightmare about him. Dipper sighed and laid down next to the human. 

What to do? To possibly help heal Dipper's heart in four days by temporarily dating this kid? Or keep wallowing in self pity forever with no chance of fixing his broken heart?

Well when it's put that way.

Dipper reached up and took Wirt's hand, closing his eyes and letting himself drift back into sleep, but noting right before drifting into sleep that Greg was snoring. It was so cute.


	17. Chapter 17

_Bill ran his fingers through Dipper's curls, the human nuzzled into the demons bare chest and sighed. "I love you Pine Tree." Bill said softly._

_"I love you too Bill." Dipper said contently._

_"I never want to move again. Can we just stay here?" Dipper chuckled._

_"Unfortunately we need food." Bill snapped and a small bundle of grapes appeared his his hand. "Show off." This time it was Bill's turn to chuckle._

_"We don't have to leave this spot ever again." Bill teased._

_"Yeah yeah, you're powerful, I get it. But who said I even find power attractive?" Bill snorted._

_"I'd have to say it's obvious after what we just did." Bill said with a gentle chuckle. Dipper shoved him playfully._

_"Shut up, you're such a dick sometimes!" Dipper replied, laughing genuinely._

_"You love it." Bill said, laughing as well. Dipper wrapped his arms around Bill and held him close._

_"Yeah...I really do." He said, nuzzling into the demon again._

_"Get some rest Pine Tree...get some rest." Bill said, kissing the top of Dipper's head gently._

_"Goodnight Bill."_

_"Goodnight my love."_

***

Dipper woke up with his legs trapped. He untangled them and got up, scampering to the bathroom quickly. He quickly did his business then left the bathroom, quietly finding his way to the living room. He munbled a quick spell and could see everything in the room clearly, including Wirt who was sitting up rubbing his eyes. Dipper sat down beside him gently.

"Sorry to wake you." Wirt shook his head.

"No, not you. I had a nightmare." He said softly. "I'm surprised Greg hasn't woken up screaming yet." He noted.

"He fell asleep pretty quickly actually. He was snoring when I fell asleep." Dipper said with a quiet laugh.

"Weird. He doesn't snore unless he's actually asleep asleep...like entered REM cycle sleep...which almost never happens." Wirt said, looking in his brothers direction.

"Why not?" Dipper asked softly. 

"The Beast haunts both of our dreams. He comes after us in them. There have been times we've woken up with physical wounds from him...so we both have a tendency to not enter REM cycle..." he said softly. "Psychology is kinda my thing." He explained.

"You know...Mabel has told me a few times she's woken up with not a single bad dream...I'd always tried to figure out why...and I think I know now..." Dipper said. "When I think about people before I fall asleep, they tend to have really good dreams...I mean...I'm a dream demon...surely that's no coincidence...right?" Dipper said.

"I guess...neither of us had bad dreams a few days ago." He said.

"That has to be it then! We are gonna test my theory! On you, okay?" Wirt just nodded and laid back down without protest.

"Anything to get him out of my head." Wirt said. Dipper laid down beside him and concentrated on Wirt while trying to fall asleep. Eventually falling into slumber and not waking up until the sun rose.

***

"It worked." Wirt said softly, shaking Dipper awake.

"What?" He groaned, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"You prevented my nightmares last night. It worked." He explained.

"I...got rid of your nightmares?" Wirt nodded and Dipper say up.

"I did it. I can control my powers. Well partially, but more than before! This is wonderful!" Dipper said excitedly. 

"Shh! You'll wake them!" Wirt said quickly. They both looked over at the other two sleeping on the floor.

"You wanna go for a walk?"

***

"It must be amazing living here." Wirt said softly, running his hand along a tree trunk.

"It's never dull I can tell you that." Dipper said softly, watching Wirt with interest.

"I usually don't like forests but..." he glanced back at the demon "With you I feel safe." He said with a gentle smile, walking ahead of the demon and touching tall plants on his way.

"I mean, it's usually not safe to be in a forest with a demon." Dipper chuckled.

"But you're not a bad demon." Wirt said, reaching down and picking a few colorful flowers, playing with them in his hands.

"Yeah...but there are some bad ones out there, as you know." Wirt didn't respond. He turned around a moment later and placed a circle of flowers on Dipper's head. 

"Celandines." Wirt said softly, blushing lightly. "Th-they're flower language for 'pleasures and happiness to come'..." Wirt trailed off and turned to walk away.

"How do you know that?" Dipper asked, inhaling the scent from the ring or blossoms around his head.

"I know all kinds of useless information about flowers." Wirt said, turning around and plucking a flower out of the ground "Poetry has taught me a lot. Like for instance, chrysanthemums represent cheerfullness." He handed the demon the flower. "Or Enchanter's nightshade," he said grabbing up a few of the small plant "means 'you fascinate me'." He tossed the flowers to the demon. "And wild pansies!" He said, picking several up with one hand and moving to place them in Dipper's hair "means 'you are always in my thoughts'." The two remained quiet for a moment, as Wirt spun around and looked around jumpily.

"Wirt that's-"

"Shush!" Wirt snapped, listening to the sounds of the forest. Dipper's mind twitched and he looked around. 

"Wirt. Hide." He said quickly, watching Wirt panic and dive into some bushes off the trail. That kid really followed directions well. Within seconds, a black figure was in the middle of the trail. As it appeared, Dipper snapped and masked Wirt's aura with his own, hiding him from the new visitors view. "Ah, Beast. What can I do for you." Dipper said, not really asking but saying.

"Ah, little one! Good to see you again! Lovely flowers by the way." Dipper's face didn't change from the glare he was giving the demon. "I was hoping you could explain the little...glitch I found in your domain?" He hissed almost gently.

"My domain is none of your business-"

"Silly little one, demons share information when it's asked of them, regardless of who's domain it's about-"

"I know for a fact that you're lying." Dipper snapped. "Bill told me multiple times that he was never to give out information about his domain to anyone." The Beast recoiled softly. "How dare you try to trick one of the most powerful demons in this realm. If you come into my domain again I will not hesitate to take matters into my own hands. Are we clear?" Dipper asked through gritted teeth.

"Crystal clear, Cipher. I'll be on my way then. Enjoy the rest of your walk." And like that he was gone, once Dipper could no longer feel his presence, he turned to find Wirt. Wirt was cowering in the bushes, holding his head tightly.

"He's gone. You're safe." Dipper said softly. Wirt didn't reply. "Wirt?" Dipper heard the gasps and choking noises escape Wirt's mouth faintly.

_He was having a panic attack._

"Wirt. Wirt listen to me." He moved closer to the boy. "You're gonna be just fine. Now I need you to breathe slowly. In. And out. In. And out." Wirt responded to the demons words. "You're okay. He is gone. You are safe. It's just me and you here. No one else. I'll keep you safe." Wirt moved to hug Dipper tightly, still hyperventilating, but managaing better than he was befoe. Dipper rubbed the boys shoulders and waited for him to calm down.

"T...th...thanks." Wirt almost gasped out as his breathing began to even back out.

"No problem. I have them too. They're scary. But you're okay now." Wirt just nodded into the demons shoulder. They stayed there a moment longer before getting up and walking back in the direction of the shack.

"W...what did he mean...gl...glitch?" Wirt asked softly, still trying to gain back his composure.

"You and Greg. He can sense that you're here." Dipper said softly, not looking at the boy beside him. "I made a fake promise to look for you two. He's going to keep coming after me-"

"I'm sorry-"

"No. No don't be." Dipper shook his head. "They think because I just got my powers that they can screw me over, they can't. I'm still one of the most powerful demons, they just think I'm dumb." Dipper's eyes turned into slits as he conveyed his anger to the boy. "Demons who think they're above beings like me must be stopped, they have no power compared to me, I'm practically a god-" Dipper stopped in the middle of the trail, turning quickly to face the human who had stopped. Wirt's eyes went wide at the sight of Dipper. His eyes were dark slits, his hands sticking out of his jacket sleeves are black and the color was creeping up his face in lines, not to mention the razor fangs his teeth had become. Dipper shook his head hard and sat down, closing his eyes, and quickly trying to calm down. It wasn't working. He was angry. Someone entered his domain without permission and demanded for his friends-

"Red light." He looked up at Wirt. "Red light at the base of your spine." Wirt said softly. Dipper understood and closed his eyes. "Orange light in your lower stomach. Yellow in your upper stomach..."

***

Mabel and Wirt were munching on bacon slices when the front door opened to reveal their missing brothers.

"Morning." Dipper said, waltzing into the kitchen and grabbing a slice of bacon from Mabel's plate.

"You brat!" Mabel teased.

"So what?" Dipper asked, moving to make his own plate of eggs and bacon. Wirt took a seat beside his brother and laid his head down on the table.

"Wirt?" Greg asked.

"Can I go back to sleep?" Wirt asked, prompting Dipper to laugh.

"Dipdot? Where'd you find those flowers?" Mabel asked, pointing to the crown around his head.

"Oh, Wirt found them in the forest. We went for a walk." He explained.

"Oh...cool...do you wanna explain why they're all singed?" She asked. Dipper stopped and looked in a nearby mirror.

"No they can't be! I didn't flame up this time!" He exclaimed looking them over, not noticing a single thing wrong with them.

"You gave yourself up. What happened while you were on your walk?" Mabel asked quickly. 

"We just went for a walk, no big-"

"Your hands are still black." Dipper looked down at his arms, the wrists down were still solid black fading by his elbows. How did he not notice when he took his jacket off?

"Uh...well..." Dipper trailed off.

"We ran into the Beast." Wirt said softly, making Greg snap to look at him. 

"Liar-"

"I'm not lying Greg. He is here for us. Dipper can only fend them off for so long. We have to do something. I'm tired of being attacked. I'm tired of loosing sleep. I'm tired of panic attacks and I'm tired of him." Wirt said, his hands balling into fists.

"Wirt...it's hard to take down a demon, let alone get him off your trail." Dipper said softly.

"I will do anything to make him stop." Dipper had to put down his plate as his hands began to flame up.

"Damnit damnit no. No. No no no." Dipper said, mostly to his hands.

"Dippingsauce?" Mabel asked worriedly.

"Let's make a deal?" Dipper's voice whined, he smacked a flaming hand over his mouth. "No. No no no. No deals. No. Not again. Never again." He felt like he was going to throw up.

"Dipper?" Wirt asked softly. Dipper's body began to twitch and jerk, he curled in on himself.

"Mabes!" He yelled.

/pop/

In the spot where Dipper used to be standing, a small dark blue upside down triangle was floating midair. It opened up an eye. "No. No no no what is this?!" It screamed, it's voice shrill and whiney.

"Dipper?!" Mabel asked standing up.

"This is new. This is not okay. Mabel help me!" The shape cried out.

"Oh my God, Dip!" She rushed over to him and grabbed him by his scrawny arms. "Are you okay?" She asked quickly.

"L...let's make a deal!" The shape twitched. "No no no. Mabes make it stop!" Dipper whined.

"How?!" She asked quickly.

"Journal." He mumbled out, moving away. Mabel dashed off in search of the leather bound book. Wirt looked at the demon.

"Dipper-"

"Wanna make a deal kid?" The shrill voice asked. "Anything to get Beasty away huh? I've got something in mind." Dipper chuckled. "I'll help you make him leave you alone, if you do a favor for me!" The shape asked.

"Favor?" Wirt squinted, moving closer intrigued.

"Let's just say, you'll owe me one!" He giggled.

"Okay." Wirt stood up and approached the shape, while it chuckled manicially. Then, a stream of water flew past him, getting the demon in his eye. He cried and fell to the floor.

/pop/

Dipper was laying on the floor, clutching his face and screaming. "Dipper!" Mabel ran over and fell next to her brother.

"W-what did you do?!" Wirt asked quickly.

"Holy Water. I had not other option, Dipper?" She said softly, wiping her wet hands off on her shirt before pushing Dipper's hair from his eyes. 

"Right in the eye Mabes." He groaned.

"I'm sorry, I just sprayed I didn't think about it!" Mabel said quickly. "You almost made a deal with Wirt." She accused.

"No. No. Wirt I'm sorry." Dipper gasped. "Fh...Mabes I need to get this shit off. Now." He groaned.

"Yeah, yeah come on, I'll help you to the bathroom." She helped him stand up as he held his face. The brothers followed silently. She pulled his hands from his face and hissed. "You're gonna need to shower that off." He groaned.

"Fine, get out." He grumbled.

"I'm not leaving you to blindly clean yourself mess up!" Mabel said.

"No offense, but I'd rather not take a shower with my sister." He shuddered.

"Not like we were naked in the womb together or anything." She mumbled, glancing behind Dipper and spotting Wirt. "Ah! Wirt, perfect! Help Dipper! You're a boy, it's fine!" She said, ushering Wirt into the bathroom.

"M-Mabel!" Wirt said.

"Please? Someone has to clean the Holy water from his face." She said softly.

"Fine." Wirt said, promptly getting the door shut in his face. "Oh God." He mumbled.

"I heard that- fuck!" Dipper hissed. "I'm sorry W-Wirt. You can keep your clothes on, just have to scrub it off my face." Dipper said softly.

"Yeah, okay." Wirt said, even more softly.

"I'm sorry." Dipper mumbled as he stripped to his boxers. "I'll spare your dignity." Dipper joked. "Fuck." He hissed. Wirt took his arm and led him to the bath.

"Step up." Dipper nodded and stepped into the tub as Wirt turned on the water. "Don't act so awkward. I have a little brother. Who do you think bathed him most of his life?" He chuckled, grabbing the removable shower head and spraying the top if Dipper's head, mostly to tease him. "Move your hands." He said softly.

"It's gross." Dipper warned.

"I've literally sewn up Greg's cuts. It'll be fine." He assured the demon. Dipper dropped his hands, allowing Wirt to look at the damage. Neither of Dipper's eyes were even visible through the puffed and blistering skin.

"Just run water over them, then scrub them with soap. It sounds bad, but it'll go away in no time. Holy Water burns aren't like real burns." Dipper explained.

"Okay." Wirt nodded and allowed the water to flow over Dipper's face for a few seconds before moving and finding soap and a washrag.

"I can do this if you're nervous. It's more of I need someone to make sure I don't fall and break my neck." Dipper said, reaching out for the rag.

"Well you're doing pretty good so far." Wirt joked.

"Thanks." Dipper mumbled scrubbing at his face. When he stopped, his face was back to its normal state. "Water?" Wirt ran water over the demons face and shut it off. He handed Dipper a towel. Dipper dried off his face and looked up at Wirt. "See? Back to normal!" He smiled. "You're good to go now, thanks." Dipper said.

"I'm glad you're okay." Wirt paused. Dipper smiled sadly at him.

"I'm sorry about that. The last time I made a deal with a demon..." he sighed. "I don't like demon things. I've told you that. And deals with demons are very tempting. Never accept them. I don't care what they offer you or how desperate you are. Don't ever accept it." Dipper warned. He slowly reached forward and pulled the human in for a quick kiss, his face lighting up from embarassment. "Tell Mabel I'm going to take a shower." Wirt nodded and moved away slowly, stepping out the door and going back to the kitchen.

"Is he okay?" Wirt nodded.

"He's gonna take a shower." Mabel nodded with a smile.

"Good!" She exclaimed. "Sorry about the scare. That was the first time he's turned into his true form. Kinda scared us all..." she mumbled.

"No...it's fine." Wirt said softly.

"Well, now that that's done, would you like some breakfast?" As he watched Mabel make him a plate and talk about glitter and other weird nonesense, Wirt could only thing about that kiss, and what it meant to Dipper.


	18. Chapter 18

"Yeah, we are fine...of course...no Greg has behaved...yes I've made sure to get him food...okay dad...love you too...okay." Wirt handed his phone to Greg. "Here."

"Hello?" Greg said with a bright smile. "Hi mom!...Of course Wirt is being nice to me!...We made new friends!" Wirt shot a look at him.

"Greg!" 

"Yeah! They're really nice! They're twins! The girl can cook! And the boy, well Wirt's got a-"

"Greg. Shut up. You're done. Say goodbye." Greg giggled.

"Okay, fine. I love you mommy!" Greg said brightly. "Okay!...Bye!" Greg handed Wirt his phone and he powered it off. 

"Brat." Wirt teased.

"So?" Greg said with a laugh before running back in to join the twins inside the shack. Wirt looked off the porch at the setting sun and sat down. It wouldn't of been bad for his parents to know he liked Dipper, Wirt's parents were absolutely comfortable with his sexuality. Wirt just didn't know what was happening with him and Dipper at the moment.

"Hey." He looked behind him at Dipper, who was smiling down at him. "Follow me. Trust me." He spun around and headed back inside. Wirt followed obediently, and they walked until they reached the vending machine. 

"Oh, I'm good thanks." Dipper chuckled.

"No no, no snacks." He punched the buttons on the machine and with a hiss, the machine swung open to reveal a flight of stairs. Dipper stepped in and began to take the stairs two at a time, before noticing the lack of footsteps behind him. He turned and looked at Wirt. "Come on. Shut the door behind you." He shot Wirt a smile and continued down the stairs until he reached the elevator. He waited until Wirt caught up to him before calling the elevator and stepping in. Wirt stepped in beside him and the doors shut.

"Where are we going?" Wirt asked softly.

"My bedroom!" Dipper replied. It was a casual sentence, with no implied meaning behind it, but Wirt felt that something more was implied.

"Dipper uh-"

"I promise, it may look like a dump, but you're not gonna get radiation poisoning or anything, we cleaned out the radiation a long time ago!" Dipper said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

"Okay, but Dipper-" Wirt wr

"It's just down this hallway and-"

"Dipper I'm not having sex with you until you tell me what we are." He blurted. Dipper turned and gave him a confused look.

"What-"

"You're taking me to your bedroom for sex, which would be fine, but I don't know what we are. Are we dating? Are we a one time? Are we a fling? Are-"

"Wirt, I did not bring you down here for sex." Wirt's face went red. 

"Oh." He mumbled.

"But...since you brought it up...I don't know what we are..." he said softly.

"That's not the answer I wanted." Dipper chuckled lightly.

"Were you expecting me to confess my love to you and tell you I wanna be with you forever?" Wirt gulped.

"Look, I just wanna know what we are. I want to know if I should get as invested in you as I already am!" Wirt snapped. "People have left me at the drop of a hat before because I was more committed than them. So sorry but I need to know before I get any more emotionally attached to you." He yelled.

"I...you're...you...like me?" Dipper asked softly.

"Of course I do! I've literally liked you since I saw you! It's more than liking I can tell you that and if I need to stop these feelings I need to know now because I'm not going to get crushed again." Wirt yelled.

"I...I feel like your holding something back...has someone hurt you before?" Dipper asked softly. Wirt blinked and sighed.

"I mean...yeah..." Wirt said softly.

"Wanna talk about it?" Dipper asked.

"You're avoiding the question-"

"You clearly have some complex emotions about this, I thought I'd be a nice person and offer my shoulder." There was a pause.

"My ex Sarah...I thought she was my everything...we were together for a year, I was getting ready to ask her to marry me...then...then she cheated on me because I was too attached and she wanted someone less attached." He chuckled. "She got what she wanted, someone who was so unattached she ended up having pregnant and alone..." he sighed. "I...have a hard time trusting my heart with just anyone...but it wants what it wants and...I just need to know if I should let it want this." He explained. There was silence. "So, what is this to you?"

***

**"What is this to you!? A game?!" The voice yelled.**

**"No Pine Tree, it's not a game-"**

**"It feels like a game! You're playing with my emotions! Do you want to kill me?! Steal my soul?! Make a deal with me for something?! What is it that you want?!" Dipper yelled. Bill scratched his arm, a habit he learned from Dipper.**

**"Pine Tree I'm...I'm not trying to mess with you or anything, I'm not being a demon right now. I'm being me. And I love you! I don't want to cause you harm! I don't want to hurt you! I love you!" Bill said, trying to calm the human.**

**"I know you Bill, you've tricked me again and again and again and I'm not going to fall for your tricks this time goddammit!" Dipper yelled, tears starting to fall from his eyes.**

**"No tricks Pine Tree! I love you!" Bill said again.**

**"And what if I love you too Bill? Then what?! Are you going to do something bad to me?! Are you gonna break...my...heart?" He began to sob violently.**

**"Pine Tree, love-"**

**"WHAT ARE WE?! WHAT DO I MEAN TO YOU?!" Dipper screamed, rubbing his eyes furiously. "I'm tired of this Bill, I'm tired of wondering when you're gonna fuck me over. I'm...what are we?" He sobbed softly.**

**"You and me are whatever two people who love each other are called. Courting? Shit I don't know what the common word for it is, but that's us. Dipper I love you. You mean the world to me. You mean more than any deal or demon or magick spell or anything. You. Mean. Everything. To. Me. You have to understand that." Bill said softly.**

**"Do you...mean that?" Dipper asked softly, brokenly.**

**"Of course I do Dipper. Of course I do." He embraced the human. "I love you."**

***

"Dipper? You okay?" He blinked and came face to face with Wirt, who let out a relieved gasp. "Thank goodness. You scared me." He sighed.

"Sorry...another flashback...I'm fine" he sat up and leaned against the wall. "Wirt...I have feelings for you. I really do. But I'm broken, and you don't want someone broken." Dipper said softly.

"No but...I do want you..." there was silence. 

"What about when you leave?" Dipper asked softly.

"We both have phones...webcams are pretty popular...plus I can come back every once in a while...I just...I know I don't want to lose you." There was silence.

"...Then...you won't." They looked at each other. "I'm not gonna promise you anything. I can't keep a promise. I can't. I could be attacked tomorrow by an older demon...but...while I'm here...and you're here...you won't lose me." Dipper said softly.

"This I can handle." Wirt said with a smile.

"Good." They shared a smile then Dipper leaned in for a quick kiss. "Now, onto what I was planning to show you?" Wirt smiled.

"You're very enthusiastic." He chuckled.

"You'll understand when you see it!" Dipper sang, attempting to stand up and falling slightly. Wirt caught him. "Thanks." He mumbled, starting down the hall. "So, what I'm gonna show you, it's pretty fucking cool. But it is a secret, even Mabes doesn't know about it and I don't plan for her to. Got it? Lips stay sealed?" Dipper asked, glancing back.

"Of course." Wirt said softly.

"Good" he reached for the knob of the oak door that led to his bedroom and led Wirt inside. The room was huge. On the far center wall sat this queen sized, canopy bed. The canopy was made of joined bundles of navy blue tulle, with small gems inlaid in the fabric, it stretched to the top of the bed where it was layered on and touched the ceiling. The bedsheets were a little messy still, but they were baby blue silk, inlaid with dark grey triangles in the design. The pillow cases were silver silk and matched the jewels on the canopy. All around the room were the finest oak bedroom - ware imaginable. A writing desk, huge and covered in books and papers; a five drawer dresser that almost touched the ceiling; a chest at the foot of the huge beds, carved in hundreds of symbols; a small dining table and set of chairs in an empty corner, a few papers and books strewn on it; and a bookshelf that encased an entire wall to the right of the bed, filled with books from every subject in the world.

"Whoa. Can I have your room?" Wirt said softly, moving to examine the furniture.

"I know. It's pretty classy. That's what you get for living with a demon, then becoming one. We're quite classy when it comes to our tastes." He joked.

"Is this real silk?" Wirt asked surprised.

"It is indeed. And that's not even the best part. Lay down." Wirt gave him a look. "Trust me. Lay down." Wirt did as he was told, the bed felt like a cloud. "Srats thgil." Wirt practically blinked and the top of the canopy was lit with hundreds of tiny lights. He let out a gasp. "It's an exact copy of the night sky in Gravity Falls. One night forever ago, it was raining and I couldn't go look at the stars, it's like a relaxation technique for me, so Bill constructed these bad boys to make me feel better." Dipper laid down opposite of Wirt so they're legs were hanging off opposite sides of the bed and their heads were side by side.

"They're amazing." Wirt said softly. It was quiet for a few minutes.

"Sorry I talk about Bill so much." Dipper mumbled, feeling awkward for just noticing.

"Dipper," Wirt sat up and took Dipper's hand. "Bill died. You didn't break up, you didn't get a goodbye, you lost him. I can't blame you for still being in love with him. He mattered to you. I'm not mad about that, I could never be. You're going to love him until the day you die, I understand that entirely. Don't worry about it. Talk about him whenever you want." Wirt said softly.

"It doesn't bother you?" Dipper asked.

"No. It doesn't bother me." He leaned down and kissed Dipper's forehead.

"Thank you." More silence passed. "Okay, on to the journey." Wirt chuckled as Dipper got up and approached the bookshelf wall. "Don't flip out on me. I know it's cool." Dipper shoved a stack of books out of the way and reached to the back of the shelf, a moment later a circle panel on the floor began to turn, then stopped half way. "Well come on." Dipper said softly.

"Whoa." Wirt said, for about the tenth time today, and followed Dipper inside. The bookcase closed behind them and the lights flickered on. As Wirt adjusted to the light, something fluttered down in front of him.

"Master Cipher. There is a new person with you-"

"Yes Griz, there is indeed. Please scan him and enter him to your list. His name is Wirt and he is a trusted ally. Human." Dipper said, walking further into the room. Wirt examined the creature who looked back at him with big eyes. It looked like an owl, but not like an owl...like an owl with paws and a horn.

"Hello Human Wirt. My name is Griz. Please put your arms out horizontally and keep them there. Thank you." The creature fluttered up onto Wirt's arm and began to pace around, occasionally leaning down and moving again.

"He's learning your scent and body span. It won't take too long." Dipper said, flipping a book open on a desk.

"May I ask a question, uh, Griz?" Wirt asked.

"One moment please." The creature moved to the other arm, did the same process, then fluttered over to a book, and scribbled some notes down with its beak and a pen. He returned and fluttered up Wirt's body, then returned to the book.

"He can internally calculate distances and measurements." Dipper explained.

"Sorry about that Sir Wirt. I am done now. Please ask your question." The creature said turning to look at Wirt.

"Oh, ah, okay, so what are you exactly?" Dipper chuckled.

"It seems no human ever knows what I am. Master Cipher, you really need to get information out there." Dipper laughed.

"Sorry let me just go teach humans about the most secret creature known to demonkind." Dipper joked.

"Ha. Ha." He looked at Wirt. "I am a dirn. I am, in a sense of human animals, part owl, part bear, part unicorn, and part lizard. In the demon world we are quite common. We are like the demon librarians, most times. We offer knowledge that the demons need for everything, and in cases like Master Cipher, we offer human help as well. I am one of the few dirn's trusted to assist humans gain knowledge as well as demons. There are only a couple of us out there." He explained.

"Well...that is...quite cool. It's nice to meet you Griz." Wirt said softly.

"Likewise. If I can help you two, let me know. I will be in my perch." With that he fluttered away.

"He's quite the gentleman." Dipper said, picking up a book.

"Quite. Quite neat is a better way, to describe him." Dipper chuckled. 

"My dirn was not my intention of bringing you down here." Dipper said, walking over to Wirt. "I've been doing research on your Beast. I've learned an important detail about him, and I'm pretty sure Griz can help us with this. Griz, can you come down for a moment?" The creature fluttered down onto a chair near the two. "What do you know about-" Wirt dropped the book in his hand and covered his ears. The sound coming out of Dipper's mouth was horrendous. Dipper removed Wirt's hand. "Sorry." He looked at Griz "Refer to him as The Beast please. Wirt isn't yet used to the old languages." Dipper said.

"Of course sir. The Beast, as you call him, is part of the few temporary demons in the dimension. He can be set free if he steals 100 souls, then he will depart to the next world. This became his punishment after angering a violet demon from Berlin a few eons ago, and not being able to repay a debt of gold. The Beast, by my last account is at 98 souls and only needs two more. However, he has grown addicted to capturing souls. So he probably wants to make his last two count. So he's spent the last decade looking for the purest souls to take, preferably those of siblings since relative souls are stronger." Griz explained.

"He's after Wirt and his younger brother." Griz made a sound.

"Oh deary me. So you've come for advice on how to end him, I take it?" He asked.

"Yeah. Any ideas?" Wirt asked.

"There is one way. Very dangerous, very difficult, and I do not think Master Cipher is going to be comfortable with it-"

"What is it? I'll do anything-"

"Don't tell me..." Dipper cut himself off.

"You must trap the Beast in a symbolic trap only created by a demon, weaken him, and destroy him at his lowest moment." Dipper walked over and sat down in a chair, pulling his legs up to his chest.

"Dipper?" Wirt asked.

"My apologies Master Cipher." Griz said returning to his perch.

"I...Wirt...I don't know if I can do this." Dipper said.

"Why not? You're powerful, you're-"

"That's how Bill was killed."


	19. Chapter 19

_"What do you mean he wants your power?" Mabel asked Bill, as he and the Pines sat around the dinner table discussing the situation at hand._

_"Look, I didn't want any of you involved in this, I'm sorry. I can take care of him on my own and it'll all be over soon. Don't worry about it-"_

_"No way." Dipper said, standing up "We are all a family now. We protect each other. And we protect you."_

_"Yeah. What Dipper said!" Stan agreed._

_"Yeah!" Mabel said jumping up "So how do we take him down?" She asked._

_"...I think our best method here is banishment. It'll take all of us to distract him-"_

_"You've got all of us." Stanley said quickly. Bill smiled and looked around the table._

_"I love you guys."_

***

"What do you mean that's how he died?" Wirt asked softly.

"Wirt, demons are evil, EVIL creatures. When they want more power, they'll do anything to get it." Dipper said.

"They're demons? Aren't they powerful enough-"

"Demons can contain the power to the equivalent of 37,000 freight trains, to you humans. Most demons are only as strong as the equivalent of 500 freight trains." Griz explained from his perch.

"Only?" Wirt asked monotoned jokingly.

"Wirt, the point is demons like power. It's like candy for us. It's like fun, fun candy that we get to rip out of people." Dipper said softly. "Unfortunately, it's the best feeling in the world." He sighed.

"Do you know from-"

"Yes. Yes I do know from experience." He groaned. "This bunny got in my way one day while I was mad and I just-" he stopped mid-angery sentence and sighed, mumbling numbers to himself to calm down. "I ripped it's soul out. It was terrifying. I didn't even mean to do it. Instinct took over and..." Dipper buried his head in his arms. "I left for a week. Didn't come near my family. Too scared I would do it again. I enjoyed it so much. I...wanted more. My first thoughts were of how lovely Mabel would scream as I ripped hers out." He mumbled through choking and tears. "I...we are monsters, Wirt. Monsters. We will stop at nothing for power, and it's almost always our downfall. And that's why we have to take him down. Not only will he leave you alone, but the souls he has taken will be set free." Dipper explained.

"What will happen to his soul?" Wirt asked softly.

"That would be one of two options. One, his replacement host will take the soul and power. Someone he has chosen to forever weild his powers until their untimely death, much like Master Cipher here. Or two, the demon closest will absorb his power." Dipper didn't move at Griz's words.

"What would that mean for Dipper?" Wirt asked softly.

"It means Master Cipher would-"

"I'd either implode because I'm still a newborn demon, or be too powerful to control my mindscape, or I'll just start ripping out souls, or-"

"Or you'll be a powerful and wise demon, much like your ancestor." Dipper sighed as Griz landed on his head. Dipper wiped away his tears.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." He mumbled.

"You won't. Your magick is not that powerful." Griz said.

"But what if it is?! I'm going to kill everyone I love! I can't go through that again!" Dipper yelled, not phasing Griz in the least.

"I-" Wirt stopped himself. "Nevermind."

"No, human your idea is a good one. One that I had not thought of." Dipper looked upwards towards the bird, then at Wirt.

"You...can read minds?" Wirt asked softly.

"Only when the thoughts are wise thoughts. And that's a very good idea. Please share it." Griz said.

"I...what about a familiar? A creature who was born to control your magick and how to work it?" Wirt asked.

"Familiar?" Dipper mumbled. "Yes. Yes yes yes YES!" He jumped up, Griz casually moving to a table after being disturbed. "Yes! That's what I need! Yes! A familiar! Wirt you're a genius!" Wirt blushed and stuttered before Dipper ran over to him and kissed him. "Oh God you're a genius!" Wirt just let the demon kiss him.

"I will begin searching for a familiar in the area immediately Master Cipher. I will have them to you by the morning." Griz said, fluttering off and out a small opening in the wall. Dipper clung to Wirt ask kissed him again.

Sometimes it paid to be nerdy.

***

"Master Cipher?" Dipper woke up to see Griz on his chest. He sat up, only to be stopped by a set of arms around his middle. He looked over at the human cuddling him and chuckled. 

"I guess we fell asleep researching last night. What can I do for you Griz?" Dipper asked.

"I have found a familiar. She is upstairs on the porch waiting for you whenever you'd like to meet her." Griz said.

"Is she trustworthy?" Dipper asked.

"As far as I am concerned, yes. But you will need to do a bonding ceremony with her so she does not stray." Griz said.

"I feel like that was a stray animal joke." Dipper teased.

"I do not make jokes, Master Cipher." Dipper sighed.

"I'm waiting for the day that you realize you can act casual around me." Dipper commented.

"I am a dirn, you know that is-"

"'Not what we do by code of demon ethics.' I know. But you'd be so much more fun if you did let loose around me." Dipper said.

"My apologies Master Cipher." With that he fluttered off, but quickly returned with a book. "Page 382 has the bonding spell. You know where to find me if you need anything else." With that he was gone. Dipper shook Wirt gently and pried his arms off his waist.

"Wirt get up." He cooed, picking up the book and flipping to the page as he sat down at his cluttered desk.

"No." Wirt mumbled.

"Mabel and Greg probably thing we are dead." Dipper teased.

"No. Mabel text me last night and made sure we weren't." Wirt said with a yawn. Dipper picked up a pen and grabbed a notebook, beginning to decipher the code written on the page for the spell.

"Good." He mumbled, scribbling away and scratching at the page haphazardly.

"What on earth are you doing?" Wirt asked, standing up and peering over Dipper's shoulder.

"Translating this spell. It's to bond my familiar to me. She's upstairs waiting on me. I'm trying to hurry." Dipper said.

"Oh gotcha." Wirt nodded.

"Hey, I'll meet you upstairs? Can you go find her and let her know I'm working on a project? She's probably a cat, but she could be anything." Dipper said.

"Sure thing, see you upstairs then." Wirt said softly, kissing the back of Dipper's head before going upstairs in search of the familiar.

***

"Come here kitty!" Mabel yelled running towards the small feline. "I promise I want to take care of you." The cat hissed and her and continued to run while Greg watched in amusement.

"Greg? What's Mabel doing?" Wirt asked stepping out onto the porch.

"Chasing a cat we found. It was sitting out here all alone, Mabel just wanted to feed it-"

"Mabel!" Wirt said, dashing off the porch before Greg could say anything else. "Mabel stop chasing her!" He called, waving her down.

"Are you an animal whisperer?!" She asked stopping abruptly.

"Mabel, that's not a cat." Mabel jumped.

"I can't handle another demon, god has forsaken me." She complained.

"No, she's a familiar." He walked over to the bushes where Mabel had scared it to.

"Familiar?" Mabel asked.

"A magick guide to help Dipper control his powers." Mabel got excited.

"Really?! That's awesome!" She exclaimed.

"Not if you scare her away." He got down on his knees and crawled closer to the bush line. "Hey, you okay in there?" A pink nose popped out of the bush. "It's okay. I'm here on behalf of Di- I mean Cipher" a black furred head popped out of the tree, whiskers white and long in the sunlight of the morning. "He is working on translating your bonding spell. He's really excited to meet you." She looked at him. "I...I don't know if it's only fictional Familiars, but can you talk?" There was silence. "Okay I guess not."

"I know a spell!" Mabel said rushing over, receiving a hiss from the cat.

"It's okay." Wirt assured the animal. "She is Cipher's twin, she means no harm, she's just easily excited. She knows how to control her magick." The cat stepped forward.

"Sorry about earlier." Mabel mumbled before reaching down and touching the cats head while whispering to herself. Her finger lit up purple, then returned to its normal color. "That's one of my favorite spells. First one Bill taught me for fun." She smiled. "How's it feeling?"

"Quote nice actually. I've missed talking as apposed to meowing." She said softly, her voice velvet smooth, with a hint of a British accent. "The name is Carey. I am Dipper Cipher's new familiar." She said softly. "I did not know-"

"Okay, I'm here guys. Sorry!" Dipper said rushing over to the assembly of people in the yard. "Hello there." Dipper said, getting down on his knees in front of the cat.

"Pleasure to make your aquaintance, Great Cipher." She bowed softly.

"Call me Dipper." He said softly.

"And you can call me Carey." She replied.

"The pleasure is all mine Carey. You're a big help to me right now, I'm glad Griz found you." Dipper said.

"Me as well, I think I'm going to fit in well here, despite the terrain." She mumbled.

"Shall we commence with the bonding?" Dipper asked.

"But of course. Mortals, you may wish to step back to the building. If not it'll fry your whiskers off." She joked with a giggle.

"We are gonna get along just fine."

***

Dipper, Wirt, Greg, Mabel, and the newly adopted Carey were all lounging around the living room talking about the situation up until now. It was going fine until Carey spoke up.

"I did not know the Cipher twin was a female. This is definitely new information to me." She said.

"Well, she's my human twin. We are the second generation of Pines Twins. I took Bill's powers, but I still consider her my twin." Dipper explaining, stuffing some popcorn in his face. 

"Pines? No no, what of the Cipher twin?" She asked.

"Cipher Twin?" Dipper asked.

"Bill didn't have a twin." Mabel said.

"Then he must have lied to you all." There was an abrupt silence.

"Are you telling me Bill had a sibling?" Dipper asked sitting up.

"Has. Has a sibling. He has a brother, or shall I say, you have a brother." She said, nibbling on a piece of popcorn. They all figured since she was technically a human, she could eat human foods, save for the deadly ones to cats. Turns out she loved popcorn the most of all the snacks the Pines kept around the Shack.

"No, no Bill would've told me-"

"The Cipher twins never talk about each other. It's their thing. They talk to each other, but never acknowledge the others existence. Will, your brother, is from another dimension. One of opposites. You'll probably go there one day, but until that day comes don't fret about it. I'm only surprised your flashbacks haven't shown him to you yet." Dipper sighed.

"That's the thing. My flashbacks are few and far between. I know nothing that I should know. Almost everything he left me was memories of us. They aren't helping me with my powers." Dipper said.

"How many have you had so far?" Dipper thought about it.

"I have exact records in the basement but I think it's around 90 right now." Dipper said.

"He like, passes out when he has them." Mabel commented.

"And they're spaced out?" Dipper nodded. "As unusual as it is, some demons choose to space them out. Bill must've known you'd get a familiar at some point, because you're running out of flashbacks." Dipper looked up at her.

"Running out?" He asked.

"Yes. You have 100 moments to reflect upon your predecessor after you leave. Most demons pick memories of them understanding their powers, the fact that Bill did not choose many of these must mean he really cared for you during his time." Dipper looked down at his hands.

"He did." He mumbled.

"Hey, little one." She jumped into his lap. "No worries. Don't be sad. You can re-live the flashbacks at any time, he is not far from you." She bunted his chest. "He is here, his soul is within you. He's watching you every step of the way, and I'd say he's proud, seeing that you've made it this far without a familiar." She said.

"Yeah?" He asked softly.

"Yeah. So what do you say we start working on controlling those powers so we can take this guy down?"


	20. Chapter 20

Mabel and Greg were halfway through a movie, when Wirt walked into the living room. "Hey, you two mind if I crash the movie party?" They both gave a big smile.

"Of course not!" Mabel said, patting an empty spot beside her. He sat down and a few minutes of the animated musical were shared among the three in silence. Keyword: few. Few minutes of silence. "So...Wirt-" Mabel said softly.

"-I'm not sure I'm a fan of that tone-" He commented.

"-Me and Greggy here were just talking earlier-"

"-Oh no-"

"-And we were wondering-"

"-This literally can't end well-"

"-What's going on with you and Dipper?" Mabel asked softly.

"Oh goodness, guys seriously??" Wirt asked.

"Look I'm a gossip queen and Greg well-"

"I'm nosey." Greg said with a bright smile.

"Yeah." Mabel laughed.

"So tell us!" Greg said.

"Greg, you know I don't like discussing my relationships with you-"

"So you're together?!" Mabel asked excitedly.

"Mabel-"

"Don't even! He's my brother and lord knows he won't tell me what's going on! I have to get my sources from somewhere!!!" She complained.

"I mean..." Wirt started.

"No, no 'I mean's. Tell us exactly what is happening between you two." Mabel said.

"Are you officially dating? Are you just a fling? Are you just friends? Friends with benefits?" Greg asked.

"These are important questions!" Mabel commented.

"Greg! Where did you even learn half of that?!" Wirt asked.

"I'm not a kid anymore Wirt. Mom let's me use her Netflix account now, I know lots of things." Wirt sighed.

"Greg stop growing up on me." He mumbled.

"So what are you two??" Mabel persisted.

"We are...together. I dunno about officially or whatever but...we are together." Wirt said softly, half hoping they didn't hear him.

"FINALLY! Now we can go on double dates together, and we can hang out all the time, we just need to find Greg a girlfriend and it'll all be done! We will have the best time together!" Mabel said excitedly.

"Wait, double dates?" Wirt asked.

"Yeah! Oh, that's right you haven't met Pacifica yet! Pacifica is my girlfriend! We've been together for a while. Me, her, Dipper, and Bill used to go on a bunch of double dates. We eventually stopped because Paz and Bill always argued about whose outfit was the best. They liked each other well enough, but you get them going about fashion and it never ever ended." Mabel sighed. "We always ended up having a good time though, I'd never seen Dipper so happy until he went on a double date with us." Mabel said with a smile.

"Then maybe we need to go on one soon. He's been so just...stressed lately. He needs a break." Wirt said.

"Well, how about I hang out with the Stan's and Carey, and you all go on a double date tonight. The Stan's can watch me, they know magick too a little, and Dipper can watch you. It'll be safe as long as we all stay in Gravity Falls! Right?" Greg asked.

"Yeah! This sounds like a plan! What do you think Wirt?" Mabel asked.

"I..." he moved to look at Greg. "Are you sure you're okay with that? I don't want to leave you alone-"

"I'm not alone. I'll be fine. You may be my brother, but you need a break from that too sometimes. I won't leave the Shack, and I'll stay with the Stan's at all times. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Go have a fun night." Greg said gently.

"Greg-"

"Me and Mabel will go so something another time while you stay here. We'll be even then, okay?" Greg said.

"...Are you sure?" Wirt asked one more time.

"Yes. Now go get ready. You all are going tonight." Greg said.

"Yes! We can go to karaoke or mini golf or anything you two want to do really!" Mabel said, dragging Wirt to get ready. Wirt went along with her, they found Dipper, informed him that he did not have a choice, and left to pick up Pacifica at her mansion.

***

"Last time I was here, believe it or not, the Putians, the creatures who run this game, kidnapped me and tried to kill me so Mabel would win our tournament and give them the foil sticker they wanted." Pacifica told Wirt as they watched Mabel putt. 

"Whoa. I want to live here. It's never boring huh?" Wirt asked.

"Never. Not for a moment. Especially not with her at my side, she attracts the weird." Pacifica said, nudging Mabel.

"I mean, it's just my personality. I've accepted my fate." She shrugged, putting her ball.

"This was however the place I first started to fall for her." Pacifica said softly, so only Wirt could hear. "Crushed on her for weeks before I finally got an excuse to see her. She attended a party of mine. Huge party. I had opprotunities to talk to her, I just...couldn't. Too nervous. I watched her puppet show, I invited her to events, I even came to the shack a few times to see her. Luckily for me, Mabel understands hints and picked them up quickly." She chuckled. "I love that goofball." She mumbled.

"I can see why. She's so entergetic." Wirt said.

"She is. It's the best." Pacifica said.

"Dipper! You're turn!" Mabel said, moving away from the course and scribbling her score down. Even if she was lying about her score, no one would know or care. They were probably gonna let her win anyways regardless.

"Alright." Wirt looked up at Dipper. His voice was monotoned. The demon walked over, and positioned his putt, paused for a moment, closed his eyes and hit the ball at the same time. After a few bounces, the ball tumbled into the hole.

"Hole in one? How? There's like five things in the way?" Pacifica asked.

"I...I can't do this." Dipper said throwing down his club. "I...my powers ruin this for me. Every fucking move I make is precise. Every movement is calculated in my head before I make it. I can't miss. I literally can't. This isn't fun anymore. Let's just go home." Dipper complained.

"The night is still young bro-bro! If everyone's cool with it, we can skip the rest of the game and go straight to dinner?" She asked, getting no opposition.

***

"Mom made the owner fix the stupid ring and demand a refund for her time." Pacifica complained.

"Well that's stupid. Your mom has more than enough money to stand around around demand for a ring to be fixed." Mabel said.

"Apparently not. Apparently, she makes money for smiling and she wasn't smiling during that ordeal. I dunno. I'm done with her shit right now." There was a pause and Pacifica turned to their booth partners. "So, Dipper and Wirt, how'd you two meet?" She asked.

"Haha, well I was looking for a certain... demon and found Dipper. I wasn't totally incorrect, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I uh, especially didn't expect... this to happen." Wirt said, gesturing to their date.

"Mabel likes to force us on social events. I'm not big on them, but it makes her happy." Pacifica joked.

"Aww so good to me babe." Mabel joked.

"Only for the best in the world!" Pacifica joked.

"You're the cutest!" Mabel cooed. Everything went black.

***

**"You're the cutest!" Bill squealed.**

**"Shut up Bill, jeez, we are in public. People are staring." Mabel and Pacifica snickered.**

**"You'll get used to it." Mabel commented.**

**"Besides, let them look. They'll just get jealous." Bill said.**

**"Why 'cause you're drop dead sexy?" Dipper laughed.**

**"No because you are." Bill said straight faced. Dipper stopped laughing and blushed.**

**"Bill-"**

**"No. No you should know that about yourself by this point. Pine Tree, you're beautiful. You're eyes are so dark and mysterious, your curls frame your face, your body is built well, and you're so smart it's wonderful! " Bill said softly, leaning in and kissing the boy gently.**

**"B-Bill!" Dipper blushed.**

**"I don't lie about pretty boys Dipper." He cooed, getting a series of squeals from the girls.**

***

Dipper sat up abruptly, the table rattling loudly and sending everyone at the table into a reactive mini panic attack. They all looked at him, eyes alert and concerned.

"Dip-"

"I need air." Dipper said, looking around quickly.

"Wha-"

"I NEED AIR." Wirt gave him a concerned look. "Please let me out." 

"Oh, yeah, sure." Wirt said, sliding out of the booth, allowing Dipper to scramble out and make a break for the door. A few people looked after him, but returned to their meals. Wirt looked at the girls. "I'm gonna go check up on him." Before they could comment, he took off after the demon. Wirt found Dipper on a bench a little ways away. Out of view from the resturaunt and just in the entry of the forest. Dipper was leaning over, hands tucked into his hair, his body shaking.

"Go away." He gasped out.

"Dip-"

"Go a...w...go away." Dipper choked out.

"Dipper-"

"Five." He mumbled.

"What?" Wirt asked.

"Five. I have five goddamn memories left of him. Five, then I've got nothing. Five memories and I'm on my own again. Never to see him again." Dipper said, ungracefully wiping off his tears and sobbing some more.

"Dipper, he's always with you-"

"STOP SAYING THAT!" Dipper said, jumping up and giving Wirt a death glare. "He is not here. He's not gonna be here. He's never gonna be here again, not to go on a date with me, not to eat dinner with me, not to cook for me, not to teach me magick, not to sit with me, not to kiss me, not to hug me, not to keep me warm, not to hold me, not to read to me, not to teach me, not to love me, not to tell me how pretty I am, not to make me feel special, not to do anything. He's gone. He's gone and he is not coming back ever again. He's. Gone." Dipper said softly, cracking and returning to his crumpled position to cry.

"Dipper..." Wirt moved and sat next to him, taking one of his hands and holding it. "My mother died when I was about ten. My dad met a woman a few years later and married her. She already had a kid by her late husband...Greg. Greg was young, but he used to be joined at the hip with his dad." Wirt explained. 

"Greg...Greg was with his dad that day. He just picked him up from daycare...a drunk driver jumped lanes...head on collision. Greg's dad was concious long enough to scream for help...his seat had came up and trapped him between the wheel and the seat, and the wheel had been shoved back on impact...Greg was in the back passenger side...he saw everything as it happened. He watching his dad struggle to escape...watched his own father stop breathing..." there was silence.

"When we first moved in together, Greg was mute. He wrote down everything he needed to say. He let me read his diary, the one the doctors made him keep...it was grusome. Dark things for a child. So I did my best to help him out. I kept him distracted, we played lots of video games, I taught him to let go of the past...I told him every night that his father was with him, and he was proud of how far he had come." Wirt swallowed.

"I tried so hard to help Greg. Eventually he did start to speak. At first it was nonesense. Then we realized he was making up stories to distract himself from the truth. When he got in middle school, after the Unknown stuff, he finally started to understand. He accepted his dad's death, he began to move on...he's been a lot happier since then. Yeah, he still has moments. Yeah, sometimes he will doze off and wake up calling out to his father to wake up...but...he knows he's gone and there's nothing he can do...and I know you know that too. And...I know it's hard to accept...but...if you want to talk about it...any of it...if you want help with it...I'm here for you. Not as your romantic partner, but as a friend and someone who has been through this before with my brother." Wirt said softly.

"You're not alone Dipper. You have me, Mabel, Greg, the Stan's, Hell it looks like you even have Pacifica. So, don't feel like you're alone. You aren't. We all want to see you heal from this. I know Bill would want you to as well." Wirt said softly. Dipper didn't move, but tears were still flowing. "I'm gonna go back in. You're seat is open whenever you'd like to take it back, but I'm not making you come back. Don't think I am." With that he walked away.

Dipper didn't look up, but appreciated Wirt's words. But Dipper was hurting. Too busy hurting to notice anything else.

Including the yelp as something grabbed Wirt and dragged him into the woods.


	21. Chapter 21

Dipper walked into the diner and sat down across from the girls. They both looked up at him. "Where is Wirt?" Mabel asked.

"What do you mean where is Wirt, didn't he come back?" Dipper asked raising an eyebrow.

"No. He went to check on you and we haven't seen him since." Dipper paused.

"Maybe he's in the bathroom?" He asked.

"That door hasn't opened since he left." Pacifica said.

"No. No no no, I let him walk back alone. He...we were in the woods." Dipper quickly stood up. "He's got him. I know it's him, guys we have to find him!" Dipper exclaimed.

"We will, he will be fine. He probably went on a walk or something-"

"We have to find him. Now." Dipper said quickly.

"Then let's go." Mabel said, standing up.

"Yeah! This is what I wanted on this date! An adventure!" Pacifica jumped up, the twins looked at her with concern. "What? I miss adventuring with you all. I'm not always a spoiled brat. Let's go find Wirt!"

***

"I haven't had to take care of a kid since Dipper and Mabel's first summer here. I'm not sure what you want to do." Grunkle Stan said, giving Greg a sideways glance.

"I'm 13, not a kid, thank you. And really I'll do anything. What do you usually do?" Greg asked.

"Uhh..." _Watch soap operas until someone comes home._ "Not much. Just sleep and eat." He lied. "What do you do?" He asked.

"Well, since I get home before anyone else, I usually go home and watch whatever is on TV. Usually it's those cheap soap operas, but they're so good. Like last time I watched it the Dutchess was getting engaged and her dead ex-fiance inturrupted the proposal, and claimed he was never dead but actually got lost at sea, and she had to make a decision." Greg ranted, getting noticeably concerned.

"Lucky for you, I'm also a sucker for stupid cheap romantic shows, and boy did you miss a good episode." Stan said softly.

"Who did she pick?!" Greg asked excitedly.

"Neither. She died of a heart attack moments later." Stan said.

"No! Not the Dutchess!" Greg yelled.

"Yes! So the boys choose each other! They got married, it was all hunky dorie, then, who shows up at the wedding?" Stan asked.

"Lori." Greg said contemptly.

"Lori." Stan confirmed. "That's where it left off. There's one on in a few minutes, wanna watch it?" Stan asked.

"Did you need to ask?"

An hour later, through tears and a mess of conflicting emotions, the show was over and Greg immediately turned to express his heartfelt emotions to Stan. Stan was passed out in his chair asleep. Greg shrugged and reached for the remote to change it when everything went black.

***

"Wirt?!" Dipper called out, scanning the fort along the path desperately. Neither Mabel or Pacifica wanted to tell him to stop his useless actions, it probably would be given him a heart attack. "What if he's already-" Dipper choked back a sob.

"He's fine wherever he is. He's a fighter." Mabel said softly.

***

"What do you mean Greg isn't here?!" Dipper yelled.

"He's just not here! We were watching the Dutchess one minute and next, boom, he's gone!" Stan yelled.

"How did you lose a child?" Stanley asked.

"Look, I'm an old man, I need sleep. But it's Greg, he wouldn't wander off on his own. Something happened." Stan said.

"Stan-"

"He's not wrong Mabel. But now the question is, what happened?" Dipper said.

"It's not like we can figure out what happened! We can't see into his mind!" Mabel complained. Everything went black once more.

***

**"It's not like I can see into people's minds or anything!" Bill yelled.**

**"We can." The blue haired boy said softly.**

**"There's no way-"**

**"Sit down brother." The boy said gently. Bill did so. "Focus on the person whose thoughts you want to know." ...**

***

Dipper sat up quickly, almost knocking heads with his sister. 

"What was it this time?" Mabel asked.

"I...I can read minds. I can read minds and my brother taught me." Dipper said softly.

"Bill's brother?" Mabel corrected, but Dipper didn't catch it.

"Mabel think of something so I can try this out." Dipper said quickly.

***

"You won't have our souls! Mark my words Beast!" Wirt snarled.

"You're getting assertive. Not sure if I'm liking it." The Beast commented.

"Give up now and run before you can't anymore." Wirt yelled.

"Stop fighting. Good gracious. I don't want you anyways, shut up and I might let you live through this." Beast said.

"I-" Wirt processed Beast's statement. "You don't want me?" He asked softly.

"Not anymore. I have my eyes on a bigger prize."

 

***

**_"Greg. I know you hear me. You're asleep right now, but when you wake up I have a proposition for you. Meet me in the center of the Gravity Falls forest, and I'll let your brother free. If you don't, he will die in your place. We will be waiting."_ **

***

"Dipper, you can't go!" Mabel yelled.

"I have to. They're in trouble!" He shouted grabbing a jacket from his desk chair and opening up his closet beginning to dig around.

"Dipper. What if this is what the Beast wants? What if he wants you? Your soul? What if it's a trap?!" Mabel asked panicked, watching him tear through the bottom of their old shared closet.

"I don't care. Wirt and Greg are in trouble, Mabel." Dipper said quickly, rummaging through boxes.

"Dipper, you may be a demon now, but what the hell makes you think you can win against this guy? He's strong!" She exclaimed.

"Well, luckily for us, I know where Bill hid his artifacts. And I know where most powerful one is." Dipper pulled a key out of a box and jumped up. "Sorry. I had to keep this secret." He said before shoving Mabel's things away from the area that used to house his bed, before sticking the key into a crack and lighting it with his magick flames. The floor board popped up, and he removed they key and pried the board up, reaching in and grabbing an old-dusty cigar box. He opened it up. Inside sat a huge light blue gem attached to a golden chain. The gem looked like an aquamarine, but also like a sapphire. It was a mix of the two. Dipper picked it up in his hand, and looked at his sister. "This is the most dangerous artifact Bill ever got his hands on. I'll be more safe with this than I was with him at my side. However, having it exposed like this is dangerous and if I put it on here, things will quickly get scary." He put his hand on her cheek. "I love you Sis. If something goes wrong, you're in charge of taking this guy down and who gets my room." He gave her a goofy grin. "Take care sis." With that he dissapeared, leaving his twin sister lost and fearing she was going to lose her other half.

***

"No, no! Take me! Take me not him! Please! Take me!" Wirt screamed at the Beast.

"I'd rather have him." The Beast said, not even looking back at Wirt. Greg stepped through a bush and he paled as he made eye contact with the Beast. 

"I...I'm here." Greg said softly.

"Welcome to the party little one!" The Beast chuckled.

"Let Wirt go. You promised." Greg said quickly.

"Come closer please?" Greg took a few wary steps towards the Beast and the shadow snatched him up. "Okay, such a shame he doesn't get to see the show though." He turned to Wirt who was still tied to the tree. "See you in the afterworld kid." The Beast said, then snapped.

***

"Ow!" Dipper groaned, rubbing his head.

"Greg Greg Greg no!" Dipper sat up and saw Wirt in the fetal position.

"Wirt!" He moved closer to the boy. "Wirt where is Greg?" Wirt didn't speak directly to Dipper, he just continued muttering 'No no no'. "WIRT." That got the humans attention "I know you're scared, terrified, panicked even, but your brother is in danger. Where the hell is he?" Wirt stuttered. "Fuck. Forgive me, I'm just gonna read you mind-" Dipper could see the small clearing where Wirt had been tied to a tree. "I know where this is. Go back to the shack, now." With a flash, Dipper was gone.


	22. Chapter 22

.#ITSD 22

_Bill stopped mid-movement. As if he were caught in an invisible string of spider webs. "Bill!" Dipper yelled, throwing a fireball at another creature that had come flying towards him. There was no response from the demon. Examining Bill quickly, he could see the red glow coming off the demon. Red? Red wasn't Bill's magickal color._

_"Bill! Help us!" Mabel yelled, attacking another creature with her purple magick._

_"I can't." Just like that, Mabel and Dipper were halted in their movements. They were forced to turn and look at Bill, suspended mid-movement still. They were all looking at each other, each floating in a pink mist of magick. "Guys...oh my little twins..." Bill said softly, so softly the twins both missed it._

_"What?" Dipper asked, abruptly noticing the symbols on the ground below Bill. "No."_

_"Ah Bill Cipher. I've never been so happy to have a demon in my midst." A voice chuckled, deep and terrifying._

_"You don't scare me!" Bill snapped with a yell._

_"Well I should." The demon popped up beside Bill, gently touching his face. Bill shivered but couldn't move beyond that to get the touch away from his skin. "In a human body no less? Isn't that a little low for a demon?" He cackled._

_"How about you release me and I show you how weak I am?" Bill asked with a cocky grin._

_"I'd rather just take your powers instead." He chuckled once more._

_"I'd prefer you not." Bill said._

_"Shut up Cipher, or I'll make this even worse for you." The demon wrapped his hand over top of Bill's head, and began to chant. Bill locked eyes with Dipper._

_"My little Pine Tree-"_

_"No, no, no Bill. Bill no!" Dipper screamed._

_"Pine Tree you know what to do-"_

_"Bill please don't leave me!" The tears were falling down the boys face._

_"You're gonna be great-"_

_"Bill I can't live without you!" Dipper screamed._

_"Take care of him Shooting Star." Bill added, glancing at Mabel as his eyes began to glow and his body began to convulse._

_"BILL!" Dipper screamed._

_"Thank you-" with a blinding light, the yellow magick ripped from Bill's body and swirled around in the air until it found Dipper, attaching itself with his body and soul. Fitting like puzzle pieces. Dipper's eyes flared open, beaming and bright._

_"I- he- you- no!" The demon in front of him screamed._

_"THIS. IS. FOR. HIM." Mabel snapped her fingers and pulled a full body shield over herself, watching as Dipper released all the newfound demonic energy in his body at the demon. With a loud screech, the demon dissapeared into thin air, leaving Dipper and Mabel in the clearing. As soon as Dipper touching the ground, he limped over to Bill's body. He was barely breathing, his limbs looked fried, and his fingertips were charred black from the magick being ripped from his body._

_"Bill, Bill it'll be okay. I'm here. I'm here. I can save you. Mabel. Mabel come help come help." He mumbled, putting his hands on the wounds and beginning to heal them. Sloppily, but enough to help him survive, he healed the wounds one by one. Mabel joined in, when a hand landed on Dipper's shoulder._

_"Pine Tree. Save your energy Pine Tree. You'll need it to heal yourself and Shooting Star." He mumbled, his voice raspy and broken._

_"No, no Bill I'm not letting you die here." Dipper said softly._

_"Pine Tree..." he gasped in pain "one day...you'll understand...but...my time is up...I have to go..." Dipper began to cry again._

_"Bill no-"_

_"I'm so sorry...you're gonna make a great demon...I love you so much Dipper." Bill gasped again._

_"I...love you too Bill." He said between sobs._

_"Sing for me?" Dipper began to cry softer, lifting the dying Bill into his arms and holding him close as he began to sing._

_We can be heroes,  
Forever and ever,  
We can be heroes  
Just because I  
Will always love you  
I, can't help loving you  
How wonderful life is  
Now you're in  
the world_

***

Dipper clipped the necklace around his neck and he approached the area. His body lit up in flames, and created fiery wings behind him.

"Oh little Greggy! You're going to be the finest soul I've ever taken!" The Beast said with a laugh.

"Just get it over with!" Greg whined, Dipper could hear the tears in his voice.

"It's no fun to rush through soul devouring!" The Beast said with a chuckle. As Dipper entered the clearing, he heard a sickening crack and Greg screams echoed through the forest. "Can't escape me now, even if you wanted to!" The Beast laughed. "I love hearing those sounds. Makes me happy." The Beast said.

"Beast." The Beast dropped Greg painfully to the ground and turned to Dipper. "Give up now and you won't regret it." Dipper said softly, angrily.

"Look at this everyone! The baby demon thinks he's powerful! Cover your body in all the flames you want, but you're not powerful! You're weak!" The Beast yelled.

"Yeah? Well you've entered a demons domain without permission." Dipper laughed. "So I'm a little pissed off right now." With that, Dipper launched himself at the demon full speed. The Beast slammed into a tree under Dipper, the Beast then reached up and pushed the younger demon off. The Beast snarled and grabbed Dipper's neck, throwing him into the tree line. Dipper jumped up, his anger making the trees around him burst into flames, and soared towards the demon, knocking him to the ground.

Greg, who was only a few feet away, had rolled himself onto his stomach and began to crawl to safety. He had only gotten a few feet when Dipper burst the trees into flames. Greg began to shake and cry, this was it, his legs were broken, the smoke from the trees was burning his eyes, and he was never going to see his brother again. His arms gave out, sending him face first into the dirt. He let out a sob. He was done for.

Something picked his head up and made him roll over, he cringed knowing the Beast was here to take his soul, then a warm hand touched his face. He opened his eyes, and Wirt immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Greg, Greg, I'm never leaving you alone again." Wirt said quickly, leaning down and kissing his brothers forehead. "Never, ever again. Now let's get you out of here before-" Wirt was flung back into the trees as a globe of fire smacked into him. Greg turned to see the Beast, hands up and hunched over. Dipper was laying on the ground behind him, coughing up blood. 

"He's. Mine." The Beast said walking over and picking Greg up by his hair. "Welcome to the soul club little one." The Beast snarled before taking his hand and shoving it inside Greg's chest. There was no blood, his hand just phased through the skin. He reached around until he got his dark fingers on it, and ripped Greg's soul straight out of his body. Greg's soul was beautfiul. Every color of the rainbow, sparkling and wonderful. "This. This is the soul I've been waiting a lifetime for!" The Beast raised it to his lips, and began to drink it out of the air into his body. He turned to Dipper and cackled.

"I win, little one!" The Beast yelled. Dipper was already looking at him, sitting on his knees, a small cat by him side, one paw on his leg. 

"...Eb enog." Dipper finished. His eyes glowing red, the flames getting bigger, and The Beast's eyes widening in surprise, jumping down to see the symbols sketched on the ground in dirt.

"No!" A huge burst of circle shaped light filled the clearing, dazzling and wonderful as the stolen souls bust out of the beasts body and returned to where they belonged. Dipper ripped the necklace off and sighed. His body hurt. Once the flames subsided he stood up, turning to find a burnt and bruised Wirt holding Greg close, sobbing violently. Greg was breathing, but his eyes were shut. Dipper stood up.

"He's...gonna be fine...Wirt." Dipper wheezed. "He just needs h...his soul." He said gently. He stood up carefully, making sure his legs didn't collapse just yet, before reaching up and snatching the iridescent globe of light from the swarm of souls. "Greg...Greg has the purest soul...possible...he's as pure as they get. That's why t..the Beast wanted him. It was his last soul and he wanted...wanted a good one." He collapsed at Greg's side and held it gently above the boys body. "He's gonna scream. It's gonna hurt. Just comfort him, he'll be fine." With that Dipper let his hands fall, shoving Greg's soul back into his limp and destroyed body. Greg let out a gasp, began to cough, then began to panic. "CAREY?!" Dipper yelled desperately his body beginning to shake. The cat ran over to him. "It's...we need to do this now." She nodded and rushed over to snatch a purple globe from the air. Dipper looked at Wirt. "If this goes wrong, tell my family I love them." He pulled the broken necklace from his pocket at threw it at Wirt. "Take care." Wirt blinked, and came face to face with a living room full of the Pines family members suiting up for a battle. Greg let out a scream, and everyone looked at the brothers. For the moment, Wirt just clutched Greg and assured him it would be okay. But he wasn't sure if it really would be.

***

It had been eight hours. No one wanted to go to the place where the fight had happened to check on Dipper. Everyone was too scared to find his body and not him, though no one would admit it out loud. The tension in the room was growing. Greg was still in pain, but Mabel had helped him set and reheal his legs to a better condition, but she couldn't do much. Pacifica had taken to getting ice and pain medicine for both boys, as well as applying burn cream to the blisters on Wirt's stomach. The Stan's were working diligently to rectify the safety of the shack, checking to be sure each unicorn hair was in place and that the charms and wards were tight. Wirt was just worried about Dipper.

Then, they heard scratching at the door. Mabel was the first to jump up and open it, regardless of how exhasted she was from performing magick. Carey was sitting on the step, Mabel began to sob. "Please don't cry! Dipper is fine! He's okay! His body is exhasted from the magick he had to perform, he had to stop and rest. He sent me to come get someone to pick him up." She explained.

"He's okay?!" Mabel asked. 

"Yes, now grab the keys to the cart and come on. He's in the forest alone and exhasted!" She exclaimed. Mabel ran inside and grabbed the golf cart keys and dashed back, a slightly limp Wirt following her.

"I'm coming-"

"No. No you're not. You won't be of any use to us with those burns. Grunkle Stan, come on!" She called.

"But-"

"I know you were worried, but you won't be able to help us get him back. Stay here with your brother. Dipper will be back soon. I promise." She assured him.

"Okay." He mumbled.

***

Dipper woke the next morning refreshed and strangely energized. "I don't like being a demon." He mumbled to himself, before everything went black, once more.

***

**"I don't like being a demon, I...I want to die Will." Bill said softly, starting to cry. Will, the blue haired demon brother held him close.**

**"I know, but this is what we are now. You are strong, you can handle this. Look at me." He made his twin look at him. "You're not a monster, and it's all gonna get easier. Give it time Bill. You're the best brother, and demon ever. Just remember that. At every dark moment, at every second, remember that."**

***

Dipper rolled over in his bed to see Wirt watching him. Wirt reached over and stroked the demons hair. "I was worried about you." He said softly.

"I was worried about you too. I'm just glad it's over." Dipper said softly.

"I'm not. We leave tomorrow." Wirt said softly.

"It's okay. Like you said, we have phones, laptops, mail, summer vacation, not to mention now we have mind reading. Might be able to do some telekinesis through that." Dipper shrugged.

"That's true." Wirt laughed. "I'm still gonna miss you. And worry about you." He added.

"Me too, about you." Dipper said, reaching up and touching his cheek. "At least you're not being chased by a crazy demon now." Wirt snickered.

"Nah, now I'm just being chased by a hot one." Dipper made a face, causing Wirt to bust out laughing. "Worth it."


End file.
